November 27, (THEWILL) – The 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.
This, she said, 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.
The defendants had earlier been granted bail. 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’
Justice Ayotunde Faji has adjourned the trial to January 17, 2024.
