Two Men Arrested Over Hashish Oil Smuggling Attempt

Two men have been arrested allegedly in connection with an attempt to smuggle hashish oil into the Maldives by sea, following a major drug seizure at Malé Commercial Harbour.

Customs officials seized 36.4 kilogrammes of hashish oil at the harbour on Thursday. The drugs, which were concealed inside imported goods, have an estimated street value of more than MVR 29 million.

Police confirmed on Sunday that two suspects were arrested after the drugs were handed over by Customs. The men have been identified as Visham Mohamed, 35, of Malé, and Hassan Mafaz, 26, of M. Muli. The arrests were made during an operation launched as part of the investigation into the smuggling attempt.

Both suspects were presented before a court and remanded in custody for 15 days. Police stated that the investigation remains ongoing.

Authorities have noted a continued rise in attempts to smuggle drugs into the country by sea, while attempts to bring narcotics in by air also remain prevalent. Customs has intercepted multiple shipments in recent months.

In December last year, the Supreme Court of the Maldives unanimously approved the introduction of the death penalty for drug traffickers. President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the amendment three days later.

Under the revised law, which is set to take effect in March, the importation of more than 500 grammes of drugs listed under Schedule One of the Act will be punishable by death. Schedule One includes prohibited drugs and their derivatives.