A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel for trafficking cocaine into Nigeria, ordering them to pay a $6 million fine to the Federal Government.

The court found the crew and vessel guilty of importing illicit drugs through the Apapa seaport. In its judgment, the judge imposed the hefty fine as both punishment and deterrent against narcotics smuggling via Nigeria’s waters.

NDLEA, which prosecuted the case, said the conviction reinforces its commitment to cracking down on international drug cartels using Nigerian ports as transit points.

The ruling comes months after a similar case where 10 Filipino sailors and their vessel were also convicted and fined $6 million over a separate cocaine shipment at Apapa.

Source: Federal High Court Lagos, NDLEA