Nine foreign nationals have been arrested in Male' on suspicion of drug trafficking and distribution.
Police said that the arrests were made on Thursday during a joint operation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Department and Counter-Narcotics Intelligence.
The suspects were apprehended inside a guesthouse, where authorities discovered substances suspected to be narcotics during a search of the premises.
According to the police, all those arrested in connection with the trafficking operation are Bangladeshi nationals. Following the completion of necessary legal procedures, all nine individuals have been handed over to Maldives Immigration for deportation.
The police confirmed that the matter remains under further investigation.
Concerns have long persisted regarding the involvement of foreign nationals in the drug trade. This is not the first instance where expatriates have been taken into custody for such offenses.
