46 kilos of drugs in Customs’ custody go missing

Maldives Customs Service has come under fire after 46 kilos of drugs seized by the service went missing, along with the luggage the drugs were hidden in.

The situation reportedly involves drugs seized by the service in two separate cases.

The first case involves a Pakistan traveler who arrived in Maldives on January 8. Customs officers found 30 kilos of drugs in his luggage. While the suspect was handed over to custody of the police, the luggage with the drugs was not.

The second case involves a traveler who arrived in Maldives on Monday. Customs officers found 16 kilos of drugs in his luggage. Both the luggage and the suspect are missing.

According to a police spokesperson, the suspect arrested in the first case told investigators that he had brought an additional 30 kilo luggage with him when he arrived in Maldives, but did not know who took it.

Police said they hadn’t been able to identify the luggage with the video footage they received from the Velana International Airport, and found there weren’t any CCTV cameras in key areas.

The suspect was released due to lack of evidence to merit holding him in police custody.

When questioned, Commissioner General of Customs, Abdulla Shareef said the service would release a statement regarding the issue later Tuesday. He declined to make any further comment.