Sri Lankan Navy seizes 101kg of cocaine and heroin northeast of Maldives
The substances were packed in six sacks and had an estimated street value of LKR 1.5 billion, equivalent to approximately MVR 69 million.
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The Sri Lankan Navy has intercepted a fishing vessel northeast of the Maldives carrying 101 kilogrammes of cocaine and heroin, with five people on board taken into custody.
According to a statement published on the Sri Lankan Navy's website, the vessel was found transporting cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine during an operation in international waters.
The seized drugs included 58 kilogrammes of cocaine, 43 kilogrammes of heroin and 134 grammes of methamphetamine.
The substances were packed in six sacks and had an estimated street value of LKR 1.5 billion, equivalent to approximately MVR 69 million.
The vessel, which had been operating northeast of the Maldives, has since been escorted to the port of Galle in Sri Lanka.
The five people aboard the vessel have been placed in police custody.
The seized drugs were presented in the presence of senior Sri Lankan officials, including Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara and Commander of the Navy Admiral Damian Fernando.
Speaking at the event, Jayasekara said the drugs had been recovered during an operation conducted by Sri Lankan security forces in international waters.
The authorities have not disclosed the intended destination of the drugs or whether the vessel had any connection to the Maldives beyond its location at the time of interception.
