Maldivian authorities have detained five Sri Lankan nationals following the seizure of over 400 kilograms of drugs valued at MVR 1 billion. The operation, carried out by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Coast Guard, took place early on November 24 when the fishing boat Ashenfutha was intercepted for illegally entering Maldivian waters near HDh. Makunudhoo.
The boat was transported to Kulhudhuffushi, where a joint raid by the Coast Guard and Kulhudhuffushi Police uncovered 344 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 124.6 kilograms of cocaine onboard.
The suspects, identified as Muttima Patabendige Amishk Sanjeeva Kumara (22), Rajpaksha Gamage Dinusha Madumal (21), Chamod Diwanga Dilakawa (22), Laurence Hewage Sarat (56), and Wijeweera Gunaratne Mahavidome (37), were presented before the Kulhudhuffushi Magistrate Court on Monday. The court ordered their detention in a custodial jail for 30 days.
Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau, during a press briefing, declined to comment on potential links between the drug shipment and local drug networks, citing the ongoing investigation.
This high-profile case coincides with the government’s plans to propose amendments to the Drugs Act, which include introducing the death penalty for trafficking over 400 grams of drugs into the Maldives. The seizure underscores the nation’s intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
