Additional Maldivian arrested in connection with drug bust in India

Indian police have arrested another Maldivian citizen in connection with arrests of three Maldivian citizens and seizure of a large cache of narcotics in Trivandrum, India, in June.

Shaneez Maheer, 27; Aiman Ahmed, 24; and Ibrahim Fauzan Salih, 29 were arrested from Indian city Trivandrum with 17 kilos of hashish oil in an operation run by Kerala Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (KANSAF).

The estimated street value of the cache of narcotics seized in the operation is USD 7 million.

The New Indian Express reported this Monday that an additional Maldivian man has been arrested in connection with the case.

The man has been identified by the newspaper as Amhar Rasheed, 22, from G. Dh. Thinadhoo.

The newspaper reported that Amhar was studying for a degree in India and was a friend of Aiman – the prime suspect in the case.

Amhar’s connection to the case was uncovered during interrogation of the other three suspects, reported Narcotics Cell Assistant Commissioner, Sheen Tharayil, to New Indian Express.

Police sources reported to New Indian Express that Amhar was a member of the international narcotics racket, and key in purchasing the narcotics from Kerala-based sellers.

Police said the cache of hashish confiscated was kept at Palkulangara where Amhar had been a paying guest for the past five years. They said the narcotics was then handed over to Aiman, Shaneez and Fauzan, who were planning to smuggle it to Maldives in vegetable oil cans.

According to police, Amhar was preparing to leave Kerala for Maldives when he was arrested.