Police have discovered more than MVR 1 million during an operation to thwart a local drug network.
Police today held a press conference and disclosed details of a special operation conducted to disrupt the operation.
Drug Enforcement Department (DED) Deputy Head Sub-Inspector Fareed Ismail said that police and customs officials had followed the crew of ‘MSV Silver Cloud 49’ since it arrived to the Maldives.
The drugs were unloaded from the boat yesterday morning to deliver to six Maldivians waiting for them at Boduthakurufaanu Magu, police said. Police said the drugs included hashish oil and heroin.
Fareed told the press that five Maldivians and six expats were arrested in the raid.
According to police, one of the suspects was arrested on allegations that he was the ringleader responsible for trafficking illegal drugs into the Maldives.
Police said the man was arrested while he was inside a room ot Kunnumalaage in Maafannu ward.
When police officers searched Kunnumalaage they discovered more than MVR 1 million, US$11,318, EUR 39,725 and currencies of 11 other nations, police said.
Police searched other houses in connection with the case including Coconut House in Mahchangolhi Ward and Moonlight View in Galolhu Ward.
According to police, officers discovered a further MVR 134,050, US$2200 and tools used to pack drugs in Coconut House.
The police have also released the video footage of the operation.
Yesterday Deputy Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed tweeted that the street value of the drugs discovered during the operation would reach over MVR 10 million (US$648,000).
sorry folks but this is peanuts !
Looks like the Taliban and Pakistanis are improving the scale and volume of their Trade.
This was done by Customs not by the police.
Just shows how bad the situation is becoming..Too many small islands to police properly,,the government may have to increase your customs officers by 200% just to keep up with the trend..I wonder if there are enough addicts in the Maldives to use up these amounts of dope, or,are the Maldives just a stopping off point, for those dealers,before moving the dope on to maybe Australia???Who knows..
police should find out the real culprit ... innocent people are often caught in this... this operation must be quick in finding out the real culprit ... how the customs in tuticorin allowed this much drugs without even checking properly ? are they indulged in this ?