Customs Seizes 36 Kilograms of Suspected Drugs at Malé Commercial Harbour

Maldives Customs Service has seized more than 36 kilograms of suspected drugs from a shipment that arrived at the Malé Commercial Harbour.

The authority stated that the items were discovered during an inspection of goods brought into the country by sea last Thursday. Initial testing indicated that the substance was hashish oil.

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According to Customs, the seized consignment weighed 36.4 kilograms and has an estimated street value exceeding MVR 29 million. The authority has not confirmed whether any arrests have been made in connection with the case.

Although drugs are occasionally smuggled into the Maldives by sea, the majority of cases in recent years have involved attempts to bring narcotics into the country by air. Customs has intercepted several such operations.

In December last year, the Supreme Court of the Maldives unanimously approved the implementation of the death penalty for drug traffickers. The ruling was endorsed three days later by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

Under existing legislation, the importation of more than 500 grams of a Schedule One drug carries the death penalty. Schedule One includes prohibited drugs and their derivatives, while Schedule Two lists medicinal drugs and their derivatives. Schedule Three covers devices, materials and chemicals used in the production of narcotics.

The Narcotics Act also provides for life imprisonment or a fine ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 10 million for drug trafficking offences.