Three expatriates who were in possession of a hefty amount of alcohol and cash, have been arrested and remanded.

The arrests were made in connection with an operation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Department (DED) of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) in three residences of the capital, Malé City and a vehicle.

Sharing the updates of the operation with media, Maldives Police Service revealed that arrested in connection with the case are a 27-year-old Sri Lankan man, a 31-year-old Sri Lankan man and a 29-year-old Bangladeshi man.

According to the police, all three were taken into police custody for illegally smuggling alcohol into the Maldives, alcohol abuse and extensive alcohol trafficking.

The operation was provoked by an intel report and was carried out by DED jointly with the Narcotics Intelligence Department on April 30.

Officers confiscated a hefty amount of Maldivian Rufiyaa on the men and uncovered a substantial quantity of alcohol, U.S. dollars from all three locations searched by the police in connection with the case.

A total of 79 bottles of alcohol, MVR 245,000, USD 14,500 and 50 euros were confiscated during the operation. The cash confiscated in the operation totals nearly half a million MVR.

The suspects were remanded for a period of 15 days after being presented to the Criminal Court for their remand hearing.

Further investigations in connection with the alcohol bust are being carried out by the DED.