Indian national held in custody after attempting to bring 1.8 kg of narcotics into Maldives

An Indian man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle 1.8 kilograms of drugs into Maldives. 

The suspect, Shanavas Malayil, a 39-year-old Indian national, was taken into custody on charges of smuggling and trafficking narcotics. The Criminal Court on Thursday ordered him to be remanded for 30 days.

According to the court order, he was remanded after authorities submitted sufficient evidence against him, including the Maldives Customs Service report and statements from customs officers. The order states that two bottles of suspected drugs were recovered from his luggage, after which customs handed both the suspect and the items over to police.

Police said that when questioned about the substances, he claimed they belonged to him and should not be handed over to anyone. As a result, no control-delivery operation was conducted to identify any handler. An analysis report identified the substances as tetrahydric cannabinol or cannabinol, weighing 1.808 kilograms. His urine test also returned positive for amphetamine and cannabis.

The court remarked that, given his involvement in smuggling a large quantity of drugs, he appeared to pose a threat to the safety of the community. His remand expires on Friday, October 30.

There is growing concern over the rising number of foreigners endeavouring to smuggle drugs into the country.