NDLEA Arraigns Crew, Vessel For Cocaine Smuggling

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned a vessel, MV Cooper Island; its owner and 10 Crew members before the Federal High Court in Lagos for unlawfully importing 24 kilograms of Cocaine into Nigeria.

Those arraigned alongside the vessel were: Krasnoperov Oleksii, Enesa Julio (Jnr) Pedrogosa, Nonan Ulysses Doria, Torino Jhundhel Adang, Alado Elpe De Pedro, Empedrado Ryan De Jesus, Liquit Niel Morris Auxtero, Akulov Oleg, Frugalidad Francis Cabaluna and Duran Niel Stephen Dias, who are said to be Ukrainians and Estonians.

The prosecutor, Mrs Josephine Obi, told the court that the defendants were arrested on July 6, 2023, at Josepdam Port berthing Point, at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos.

Obi also claimed that the defendants conspired among themselves to illegally transport the prohibited narcotic Drug from the Port of Santos, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The prosecutor further maintained that the defendants’ action contravened sections section 14 (b) and 20 (1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following the defendants’ plea, their lawyers urged the court to allow them to continue to enjoy the bail terms earlier granted them by Justice Nicholas Oweibo during the court’s annual long vacation.

The bail terms, according to their lawyers, mandated each of the defendants to deposit the sum of $40,000, which was to be paid into an ‘escrow account’.

With the confirmation by the prosecutor that the money had been paid into the escrow account, the trial judge, Justice Ayotunde Faji sanctioned the terms.

He adjourned the trial to January 17, 2024.