Over 10,000 Drug Users Recorded in the Maldives, Says NDA

The National Drug Agency (NDA) has revealed that more than 10,000 people in the Maldives are living with drug addiction, a significant figure for a country with a population of around half a million.

Speaking on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme last night, NDA Chairperson and State Minister for the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology Ahmed Siddiq said available data showed drug use remained a serious national concern.

“Proportionally, ten thousand is a very significant figure for a population of 450,000,” Siddiq said.

He noted that the Maldives’ geographic location and maritime environment may have made the country a convenient route for importing drugs or transhipping them to other destinations. However, he said authorities were working to contain the spread of the drug trade through the efforts of the police and the Maldives National Defence Force.

Siddiq also highlighted operational challenges faced by the NDA, particularly the need to arrest suspects involved in drug-related offences on islands across the country and transport them to Malé. He said accommodating and managing individuals brought from the atolls to the capital continued to place significant strain on the agency.