Sri Lankan boat did not load drugs from Maldivian waters: Police

The Maldives Police Service has denied media reports claiming that a Sri Lankan boat travelled to Sri Lanka after loading drugs from Maldivian territorial waters.

According to Sri Lankan media reports, the country's navy intercepted a boat that travelled to Sri Lanka after loading drugs from Maldivian waters.

The boat, named "Seedevi", was intercepted and searched in the country's western waters, and media reported that 251 kg of crystal meth and 85 kg of heroin were found on board. While Sri Lankan media published this news citing Sri Lankan police, some Maldivian media outlets also published the story using those sources.

Denying these reports today, the Maldives Police Service stated that a Sri Lankan official authority has confirmed to them that the boat caught with drugs did not load the drugs from Maldivian waters. Furthermore, police said that while the 6 crew members on board at the time were taken into the custody of the country's police, the owner of the boat has also been arrested now.

While 355 kg of drugs were seized from this boat, Sri Lankan media reported that its street value reaches 5 billion rupees.