Suspected traffickers arrested with cannabis

Two foreign nationals were arrested with 47 packets of cannabis in a joint operation conducted by the police drug enforcement department and the Maldives Customs Service.

The first suspect, a 21-year-old Bangladeshi man, was arrested upon arrival at the Velana International Airport on Saturday morning. His behaviour aroused suspicions of customs officers, who scanned his luggage and found 31 packets in a sealed package.

According to police, the second suspect in the case, also aged 21, was arrested from a residence in the capital Malé later on Saturday. Police found 26 packets of cannabis after searching the home with the permission of the local owner.

The criminal court has since remanded both suspects to 15 days in police custody.

According to customs, 32kg of drugs were seized in 83 cases last year, a whopping 232 percent increase from the previous year.

Heroin and hashish oil (a liquid extract of cannabis) are the most commonly used drugs in the Maldives, but LSD, ecstasy and other synthetic drugs have been found in recent years.

In a separate case, a 27-year-old was caught Saturday morning while trying to smuggle drugs into the high-security prison on Maafushi island. The suspect had gone for a family visit.