A Marshall-flagged merchant ship and eleven Indian crew members have been convicted and imposed a fine of USD 5.3 million by a Nigerian court for trafficking cocaine into the country.
The Indian crew members, including captain Sharma Shashi Bhushan, were arrested around six months ago by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for importing 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from the Marshall Islands into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport in Lagos, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.
They were convicted under the NDLEA Act by Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke, it said.
The vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, was ordered to pay restitution of USD 5.3 million to the Nigerian government.
The three principal officers were directed to pay USD 100,000 each, while the remaining crew members were ordered to pay USD 50,000 each.
Each defendant was also fined 100,000 Naira.
NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) said the conviction sent a "resounding message" to drug trafficking networks that "Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance," the NDLEA statement read.
(With inputs from PTI)