The Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has revealed that a Sri Lankan fishing boat was located using a drone from the MNDF Air Corps on December 26.

MNDF said there were three people onboard the vessel in the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and that they have been handed over to police custody.

The MNDF regularly intercepts vessels from various countries entering the Maldivian EEZ. On 16 November 2013, a foreign fishing vessel was also seized with the assistance of a drone.

The drone was purchased by the MNDF from a Turkish company at a cost of USD 37 million (MVR 570 million) from the state budget.