Five Sri Lankan detainees have been remanded into custody for 30 days by the Kulhuduffushi Magistrate’s Court on Monday after 468 kilogrammes of drugs were found on the Sri Lankan-registered fishing boat ‘Ashenfutha,’ which was seized while illegally encroaching into Maldives territorial waters.
The vessel was seized by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) off the coast of Makunudhoo Island in Haa Dhaalu (HDh) Atoll on Friday evening. Police found the drugs during a routine search after the vessel had been commandeered and docked at Kulhuduffushi port by the MNDF.
The Police identified the five Sri Lankans under arrest as;
- Muttima Patabendige Amishk Sanjeeva Kumara, 22
- Rajpaksha Gamage Dinusha Madumal, 21
- Wijeweera Gunaratne Mahavidome, 37
- Laurence Hewage Sarat, 56
- Chamod Diwanga Dilakawa, 22
According to preliminary tests by the Police, 344 kilogrammes of crystal meth and 124 kilogrammes of cocaine were found on board, with a combined street value of MVR 1 billion.
While the Police are currently investigating the case, it is not immediately clear whether the smuggling operation has any connections to networks in the Maldives.