A 62-year-old man from V. Fulidhoo has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling drugs into the Maldives after arriving from Thailand, Maldives Customs announced tonight.
According to Customs, the man arrived in the Maldives on October 24 carrying a total of 284.9 grams of suspected narcotics, concealed in 19 bullet-shaped packages.
The seized substances included 117.6 grams of cocaine and 167.30 grams of synthetic cathinone, Customs said.
Officers became suspicious of the man’s behaviour upon his arrival from Thailand and subjected him to questioning and further inspection. During the search, they discovered the 19 packages containing suspected drugs concealed on his body.
The suspect, identified in court documents as Ahmed Naseer, was subsequently arrested and remanded in custody until the conclusion of his trial.
Police are investigating the case on suspicion of importing and trafficking drugs into the Maldives.
Under the Maldives’ current drug laws, drug trafficking is a capital offence if the charges are proven in court.
