A Nigerian courtroom has convicted 11 Indian seafarers and their vessels for allegedly trafficking cocaine into Nigeria and imposed fines totaling $6 million, the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) introduced on Thursday.
A Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos convicted the crew after authorities found 31.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden aboard the service provider ship MV Aruna Huriya at Apapa port earlier this 12 months.
The incident is a part of a broader crackdown by Nigerian authorities on drug trafficking by way of main business entry factors resembling Lagos.
Nigeria is stepping up crackdowns on drug-trafficking networks that always use Nigeria as a transport route for unlawful medication destined for Europe and different markets.
Captain Sharma Shashi Bhushan and the crew, together with 10 different Indian nationals, have been arrested on January 2 after NDLEA officers found medication hidden in one of many ship’s storage rooms, authorities stated.
In its judgment, the courtroom convicted all 12 defendants, together with the vessel itself, underneath Nigeria’s Narcotics Management Act. The vessels transporting the medication are additionally being tried underneath native legislation. A Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman stated the defendants had agreed to the phrases of the conviction and it had been submitted to a decide for sealing in courtroom.
Every crew member was ordered to pay a high quality of 100,000 naira and the ship was ordered to pay $5.3 million in compensation to the Nigerian authorities. The ship’s proprietor is liable for paying the high quality, and in the event that they fail to take action, the ship can be auctioned.
The three senior officers on board have been additionally fined $100,000 every, and the remaining crew members have been ordered to pay $50,000 every, bringing the whole high quality to roughly $6 million. a
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa stated the decision sends a powerful sign to worldwide drug trafficking networks.
