5 Lankans nabbed with drugs in Maldives, to be held for 30 days
The Maldives security forces have decided to detain and question the 05 Sri Lankans arrested with a large haul of narcotics, for a period of 30 days, preventing their immediate return to Sri Lanka.
The incident occurred on Nov. 07, when the Sri Lankan fishing vessel ‘Avishka Putha’ was intercepted by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard carrying over 355 kilograms of ‘ICE’ and heroin.
All 05 crew members on board were taken into custody.
The seizure resulted from a joint investigation involving the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Police, MNDF, and the Maldivian Police.
Meanwhile, a team from the Sri Lanka Navy and the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) subsequently traveled to the Maldives to repatriate the suspects.
However, Maldives authorities have issued detention orders for the suspects, preventing their immediate return to Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, the security force personnel are expected to return to Sri Lanka within 02 days, reports say.
