A woman and eight men have been arrested with drugs from Baa Maarikilu island leased for agricultural purposes.
Police said they were arrested in a raid conducted following a tip-off received by the Counter Narcotics Intelligence unit.
The suspects
- Mariyam Rifau, 25, Fuvahmulah
- Alhan Rasheed, 49, Male'
- Abdul Muhsin Hassan, 65, Raa Inguraidhoo
- Kumaresan Chinnaiah, 20, India
- Dinesh Sammiyappan, 29, India
- Elevendan Sivagnana Sundaram, 39, Sri Lanka
- Kanagaraj Ponnanya Supayya, 46, Sri Lanka
- Mohammed Masood, 46, Bangladesh
- Sebatian Naharaja, 31, Sri Lanka
They were arrested under a court order during the raid carried out on Sunday in collaboration with the Counter Narcotics Intelligence unit and Baa atoll police.
Police said 126 cans and five bottles of alcohol and 12.8 grams of narcotics were confiscated from the island. But they did not specify the type of narcotics.
The suspects were produced in court for remand. Abdul Muhsin Hassan was released on condition while the rest were remanded for 15 days.
Satellite photos show agricultural work was ongoing on the island and officials from the Agriculture Ministry inspected the island in November 2024.
