Court convicts 11 Indian sailors, orders $6m penalty over cocaine smuggling

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. The ship, arriving from the Marshall Islands, was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during a routine inspection at Apapa Port in January 2026. Justice Joseph Aneke upheld a plea bargain, ordering the vessel to pay $5.3 million in restitution and imposing fines on the crew members. NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa described the ruling as a warning to international drug trafficking networks.