Indian Sailors Fined $6M for Cocaine Trafficking in Nigeria

The Federal High Court in Lagos convicted eleven Indian sailors from the merchant vessel MV Aruna Hulya for trafficking 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. The judgment was delivered by Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Anek, who adopted a plea bargain agreement reached with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The cocaine was seized on January 2, 2026, concealed in the vessel's hatch during an operation led by NDLEA. The court ordered the sailors to pay a statutory fine of N100,000 each, with the vessel being fined $5.3 million, equivalent to Naira.

The three principal officers of the vessel were also fined N100,000 each, while the remaining crew members were directed to pay N50,000 each. NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa described the conviction as a clear warning to international drug trafficking syndicates using Nigeria as a transit point for narcotics, emphasizing the country's intolerance for criminal activities.