Thai Sailors, Vessel Fined $4.94M in Cocaine Trafficking Plea Bargain

Femi Ashekun/

Ten Thai sailors and their vessel, MV Chayanee Naree, have been fined a total of $4.94 million as part of a plea bargain following their conviction for smuggling 32.9 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.

The Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor, delivered the judgment today.

Under the terms of the plea bargain negotiated with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the vessel, MV Chayanee Naree, was fined $4 million or its equivalent in Naira.

Additionally, the three captains—Krilerk Tanakhan, Boonlert Hansoongnern, and Jakkarin Booncharoen—were each fined $50,000, while the remaining seven crew members were fined $30,000 each, bringing the total fines to $4.94 million.

The fines mark the conclusion of a legal saga that began on October 13, 2021, when the sailors were arrested at Apapa Port, Lagos.

Acting on intelligence from Interpol and the UK Border Force, Nigerian authorities intercepted the vessel, which had arrived from Santos, Brazil.

Nine Nigerian accomplices were also detained during the operation.

Initially charged in February 2022, the sailors faced accusations of conspiracy and unlawful importation of cocaine under the NDLEA Act.

They filed a no-case submission, asserting the prosecution had not established sufficient evidence. Justice Osiagor dismissed the submission, affirming that the NDLEA had presented a strong case.

The plea bargain resolved the case without custodial sentences but ensured significant financial penalties.

NDLEA officials hailed the outcome as a triumph of international cooperation and intelligence-sharing, highlighting the collaborative efforts of global and local security agencies in combating drug trafficking.

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