Police have stated that a Sri Lankan vessel was intercepted in Maldivian waters last night, and drugs worth one billion rufiyaa were found on the boat.
Speaking at a press conference held today to disclose details of the incident, Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau said that the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) shared information with the police after intercepting a suspected Sri Lankan fishing boat off the coast of HDh. Makunudhoo around 12:45 am last night and bringing it to the Kulhudhuffushi City harbour under Coast Guard custody. The CP added that the intercepted boat is a fishing vessel named "Ashenkutha", and there were five Sri Lankan men on board.
Furthermore, when Kulhudhuffushi City Police and Coast Guard personnel searched the vessel at 09:30 am today, a total of 468.6 kg of suspected narcotics were found. Preliminary test results of the discovered substances showed they included 344 kg of meth and 124.6 kg of cocaine, the CP stated. The street value of these drugs is one billion rufiyaa, the CP also noted.
This case is currently being investigated jointly by the Police Drug Enforcement Unit and Kulhudhuffushi City Police.
The police highlighted this operation as a successful effort among the collaborative work being done by relevant agencies to stop the smuggling of drugs into the Maldives. They also noted and expressed gratitude for the role played by the MNDF Coast Guard in this operation.
