NEW DELHI: A Nigerian court convicted 11 Indian sailors in a cocaine trafficking case on Saturday, while the merchant vessel they served on was ordered to pay $5.3 million in restitution to the Nigerian government.
NDLEA Statement
"Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance," the NDLEA statement read, as reported by PTI.
Arrest and Charges
The sailors were arrested about six months ago by operatives of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over allegations that 31.5 kilograms of cocaine had been smuggled into the country from the Marshall Islands through the Apapa seaport in Lagos, according to an agency statement issued on Thursday.
Court Proceedings
Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke convicted the ship’s master and 10 crew members under provisions of the NDLEA Act. In addition to the vessel's $5.3 million penalty, the court directed the three principal officers to pay $100,000 each, while the remaining crew members were ordered to pay $50,000 each. All 11 defendants were also fined 100,000 Nigerian naira.
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