…Orders payment a combined total of $6 million
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, ordering them to pay a combined total of $6 million (USD) in fines and restitution following an attempted drug smuggling operation.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed the landmark judgment in a statement released by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Thursday evening, June 11, 2026.
The conviction comes nearly six months after NDLEA operatives intercepted the vessel at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Seaport in Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026.
Acting on intelligence, officers discovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed deep within hatch 3 of the ship, which had journeyed from the Marshall Islands.
The Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 10 other crew members, were subsequently arraigned on a two-count charge under suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.
The convicted crew members include:
Sharma Shashi Bhushan (Master of the Vessel)
Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad
Melethil Insaf Rahman
Bharati Manoj Kumar
Nevage Sandesh Suresh
Pandey Prashant
Nuttu Anand
Akash Babu
Barla Chantanya Krishna
Prabhasukhan Singu
Jai Parkash
Presiding Judge Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke delivered the ruling after adopting a plea bargain agreement filed by both the prosecution and defense teams.
Under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act, all 12 defendants (the 11 crew members and the vessel itself) were convicted and sentenced to a statutory penalty of 100,000 Naira each.
However, the court imposed massive financial restitutions alongside the standard fines:
1st Defendant (MV Aruna Hulya) $5,300,000 (USD) (or Naira equivalent) to the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Principal Officers (Bhushan, Bhalerad, and Rahman) $100,000 (USD) each to the Federal Government.
Other Crew Members (5th to 12th Defendants) $50,000 (USD) each to the Federal Government
Nigeria is No Longer a Safe Corridor
Reacting to the verdict, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), hailed the judgment as a massive victory in the country’s anti-narcotics crusade.
He emphasized that this marks the third high-profile conviction of foreign nationals and vessels on similar charges in recent times.
“Let it be known that these are not coincidences; they are the direct result of deliberate, intelligence-led operations by our officers who remain vigilant at every port of entry,” Marwa stated.
“Whether you come by air, land, or sea; whether you are a Nigerian or a foreign national, if you attempt to use our waters as a narcotics highway, you will face the full weight of Nigerian law. Our courts have spoken.
The war against drug trafficking is one we are winning, and we intend to keep it that way.”
Marwa highly commended the Apapa Strategic Command for their vigilance in uncovering the cargo and praised the NDLEA’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their diligence in securing the swift conviction.
