Court Convicts 11 Indian Sailors and Imposes $6 Million Fine for Cocaine Smuggling Convoy Conviction.

A Federal High Court in Lagos has found 11 Indian sailors and their ship, the MV Aruna Hulya, guilty of importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. The court imposed fines and restitution totaling almost $6 million.

The crew and vessel were seized by agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after the drug shipment was uncovered during a routine inspection at Apapa Port in January 2026.

The ship had come from the Marshall Islands when the cocaine was discovered hidden in one of its cargo holds.

Justice Joseph Aneke delivered the judgment, upholding a plea‑bargain agreement reached between the prosecution and the defence. All defendants were convicted under the NDLEA Act.

The court ordered each of the 11 crew members to pay a fine of N100,000, while the vessel was required to pay $5.3 million in restitution to the Federal Government.

Three senior officers aboard the ship were further ordered to pay $100,000 each, and the remaining crew members were directed to pay $50,000 each as restitution.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig‑Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), reacted to the ruling by saying it sends a strong warning to international drug‑trafficking networks and that Nigeria will no longer serve as a transit route for narcotics.

Marwa added that the conviction demonstrates the agency’s growing success in intelligence‑driven operations and reaffirmed its commitment to intercepting illicit drugs at the nation’s air, land and sea entry points.