Image for representation purposes only 11 Indian seafarers have been ordered to pay a fine of $6 million in total, after a Nigerian court found them guilty of smuggling cocaine into the country, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The crew of MV Aruna Hulya hid 31.5 kilograms of cocaine in a storage compartment of the ship, which was later retrieved by authorities during a search operation at Apapa Port. The case is part of a much wider crackdown by the Nigerian Police on smuggling networks using key entry points like the Port of Lagos. Nigeria is striving to strengthen the enforcement of laws against drug cartels, which use the country as a transit route for drugs destined for Europe. Captain Sharma Shashi Bhushan and others were arrested on January 2, 2026, after the drugs were found onboard. In the latest ruling, the court convicted all 12 crew members and the ship as well, under the anti-drug law. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said that the defendants had agreed to the terms of the conviction, after which it was presented to the judge for the ​seal of the court. Every crew member has to pay a fine of 100,000 naira, while the ship’s owners have to pay $5.3 million to the Nigerian government. If they cannot pay, then the vessel will be auctioned off, the drug enforcement agency said. Three senior officers are directed to pay a fine of $100,000 each, while the remaining crew members were ordered ⁠to pay $50,000 ​each, bringing the total penalties to ​about $6 million.