Seizure of 6.8 kilo drugs, MVR 1 million: All arrestees remanded

All suspects arrested in connection to the seizure of 6.8 kilo drugs and roughly MVR 1 million in a special counter-narcotics operation carried out by Maldives Police Service have been remanded in custody.

A Police Spokesperson told Sun on Monday night that all suspects arrested in the case were remanded in custody from 15 days to 30 days. The total number of arrests, however, was not disclosed.

The operation was carried out in the Male’ area on December 22^nd which saw the seizure of 6.8 kilo drugs and approximately MVR 1 million from Male’ City and Hulhumale’.

Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed, in an earlier remark, said that the arrestees in the operation included members of a prominent criminal gang involved in drug trafficking and sale.

In a press conference in November, Home Minister Imran Abdulla said that 1.6 tons of drugs have been seized over the past four years, whereas 1.9 tons of drugs, including those seized before, have been destroyed.

CP Hameed who also spoke at the press conference said that 562 counter-narcotic operations were carried out during the past four years – whilst 11,955 arrests were made in connection to drug-related offenses. 6,165 cases related to the arrestees were investigated – whilst 2,681 of them were forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) requesting charges.

He emphasized that counter-narcotic efforts were the police’s top priority.