MVR 9 Mn worth drugs confiscated from Dutch arrival

The Maldives Customs Service have confiscated MVR 9 million worth of narcotics from a Dutch arrival.

Customs issued a statement following the incident, confirming a Dutch male, arriving via Doha, Qatar, to Male’ last Sunday, was arrested with the narcotic items in possession.

The authority added that they inspected the foreigner’s luggage upon suspicion of carrying contraband and discovered the substances which have been identified as narcotics from preliminary testing. The substance has been positively identified as cathinone, also known as keto-amphetamine.

The substance weighs a total of 6.070 kilograms with its street value estimated at MVR 9.01 million, Customs reported.

The confiscated substance and the apparent mule have been handed over to Maldives Police Service for investigation.

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology recently announced it has drafted an amendment bill of the Drugs Act that seeks to introduce capital punishment for those convicted of smuggling over 500 grams of drugs to the Maldives.

Under the current law, convicted drug traffickers either face life imprisonment or a fine between MVR 100,000 and MVR 10 million.