Swiss traveler arrested with 2.2 kilos of cocaine

A Swiss traveler has been arrested from Maldives with 2.2 kilos of cocaine.

The traveler, a 59-year-old Swiss man, was arrested from the airport Wednesday. The Criminal Court granted a 15-day extension to his remand Thursday.

According to court documents, Customs officials had searched his luggage after a scan showed the luggage had a false bottom. Officials found three rubber packets inside the false bottom, containing 2.2 kilos of cocaine.

Maldivian authorities also arrested two people who came to claim the luggage in a controlled delivery operation.

The latest case comes after a Brazilian traveler was arrested with 2.6 kilos of cocaine earlier this week. Unlike the case of the Swiss traveler, the Brazilian, a 23-year-old woman was deported.

Customs reserves the right to bar entry to people based on intel they use or may use Maldives as a transit point to traffic drugs.