The crew of a Sri Lankan fishing boat accused of smuggling nearly half a tonne of drugs into Maldivian waters has been remanded in custody for 30 days.
The Maldives Police Service arrested five Sri Lankan nationals in connection with the case on November 23 at 0045 hrs. The suspects have now been identified.
The arrests were made on a Sri Lankan fishing vessel from which 468.6 kilograms of drugs were recovered. Preliminary tests identified the contraband as 344 kilograms of crystal meth and 124.6 kilograms of cocaine.
The case is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Department and Kulhudhuffushi City Police. Authorities are continuing efforts to trace the origins of the narcotics and the networks involved in the smuggling operation.