Customs arrests two Nepalese passengers with more than a kilo of drugs

Maldives Customs Service has arrested two people for attempting to smuggle more than a kilogram of drugs into the country.

Customs stated Monday that the items were seized during a special operation conducted on the 25th of last month, wherein two Nepalese passengers were taken into custody.

The suspects were stopped and questioned at the airport after officers observed conduct deemed suspicious. Thereafter, during further searches, officers recovered 142 bullets containing drugs, with a combined weight of 1.1 kilograms. According to Customs, the seized narcotics comprised 708.2 grams of heroin, 424 grams of cocaine, and 51.6 grams of morphine.

Smuggling cases have risen in recent months. Earlier this month, Customs seized foreign currency worth more than MVR 900,000 from individuals attempting to take it out of the Maldives. In a separate operation on the 29th of last month, officers intercepted more than eight million cigarettes being smuggled into the country by sea.