Brazilian traveler arrested with drugs worth MVR 15M

A Brazilian traveler has been arrested from Maldives carrying drugs worth MVR 15 million.

Maldives Customs identified the traveler as a 29-year-old Brazilian woman who arrived in Maldives on a flight from Brazil on November 9.

Customs officials flagged the traveler for suspicious behavior, and conducted a search of her luggage, during which they found a suspicious substance – which tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine seized in the operation weighed 4.460 kilos.

The street value of the drugs is estimated to be MVR 15 million.

According to Customs, it makes the tenth attempt to smuggle cocaine stopped by authorities so far this year.

Customs has seized 17 kilos of cocaine from travelers this year.

Both the traveler and the drugs have been transferred to the custody of police for a criminal investigation.