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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.
The seizure was made on Friday, January 2, 2026, according to a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi disclosed that the cocaine was found concealed in hatch three of the vessel, which originated from the Marshall Islands.
“Those detained include the master of the vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 other crew members,” Babafemi stated.
He listed the suspects to include Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, among others.
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In a related development, NDLEA operatives uncovered consignments of ketamine, ecstasy, and tramadol pills hidden inside coffee sachets and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos on December 24 and 29, 2025.
The agency also announced the arrest of a wanted drug kingpin in Ibadan, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as Mama Kerosine, following the seizure of 238.4kg of skunk cannabis linked to her operations.
Further operations across Borno, Lagos, Jigawa, Kwara, and other states led to the recovery of large quantities of illicit drugs, including tramadol injections and cannabis consignments allegedly intended for insurgents.
Babafemi noted that the arrests come amid ongoing legal proceedings involving foreign nationals accused of smuggling drugs into Nigeria, as the agency intensifies efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking networks.
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