468.6 kg of drugs found on a vessel seized in Maldivian waters
468.6 kg of narcotics have been discovered on a Sri Lankan fishing vessel seized in Maldivian waters. At a press conference currently underway at Iskandar Koshi, Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau stated that the MNDF informed the police at around 12:45 AM that a vessel believed to be a Sri Lankan fishing boat was intercepted off the coast of HDh. Makunudhoo and taken to HDh. Kulhudhuffushi harbor under Coast Guard custody. At the time, there were five Sri Lankan men on board the vessel.
“This is one of the vessels that we receive information about through various means, moving suspiciously in this area. This vessel was also identified through information received by the MNDF,” he said.
Shujau said that at 9:30 AM today, when MNDF Coast Guard officers along with Kulhudhuffushi City Police searched the vessel, a total of 468.6 kg of substances suspected to be narcotics were found. “According to preliminary test results of these substances, 344 kg of methamphetamine and 124.6 kg of cocaine have been found. The Drug Enforcement and Kulhudhuffushi Police are jointly investigating this case,” Shujau said. Shujau stated that this is considered a successful operation among the joint efforts of various agencies to prevent drug trafficking into the Maldives. He said that as the investigation progresses, they will continue to share information that needs to be disclosed.
According to Shujau, these drugs are worth one billion rufiyaa. Shujau has revealed that it is still difficult to say whether these drugs are linked to Maldivians or any Maldivian party. “We are at a very early stage, so it’s difficult to comment on that yet. We are in the process of gathering that information,” Shujau said. It is not yet confirmed if this is the largest drug shipment seized to date.
