Bangladeshi arrested for clearing cargo with 18kg drugs
This seizure marks the largest single drug recovery in the Maldives this year.
Maldives Police have arrested a foreign national who attempted to clear a cargo shipment containing 18 kilograms of drugs seized by Maldives Customs on Tuesday.
Customs officials recovered the drugs, which were concealed inside tree pots, from a flight arriving from Bangalore, India. The estimated street value of the narcotics is MVR 26 million, according to Maldives Customs.
A police spokesperson confirmed to Atoll Times on Wednesday that a 35-year-old Bangladeshi man has been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
“The foreigner was going to clear the cargo,” the police spokesperson said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
This seizure marks the largest single drug recovery in the Maldives this year. The second-largest was recorded in February, when authorities seized 14 kilograms of narcotics.
In 2024, the highest drug seizure occurred in November, with 400 kilograms confiscated. The estimated street value of that operation was MVR 1 billion.
