The government of Japan has donated drug testing kits and precursor testing kits to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Customs Service.

The donation was made under the Project for Enhancement of Ability in Maritime Safety and Security, in support of the government’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse, during a ceremony held at Bandaarakoshi on Thursday.

Minister of Defence and National Security Mariya Ahmed Didi received the donation on behalf of MNDF.

The donation was handed over by Ambassador of Japan to Maldives, Takeuchi Midori.

Following the donation, MNDF expressed gratitude to the Embassy of Japan in Maldives and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Maritime Crime Programme for their generous donation of precursor and drug testing kits.

The assistance comes in line with the Exchange of Notes signed between the Government of Japan and UNODC in March 2023 under the Project for Enhancement of Ability in Maritime Safety and Security.

The grant, valued at USD 2.5 million which is equivalent to MVR 38.5 million, was provided with the aim to assist the Maldivian government in effectively detecting, investigating, and prosecuting cases of drug trafficking, crimes in the fisheries sector, and crimes affecting the marine space.

The kits will be used to conduct rapid tests for the preliminary field identification of drugs and precursors, for capacity-building of law enforcement officers to effectively interdict the trafficking.

The Embassy of Japan on Wednesday, donated drug testing kits and precursor testing kits to the Maldives Police Service as well.

The donation will not only expedite investigations but also help to facilitate the remand of suspects pending laboratory results.

The drug and precursor field testing kits donated in support of the Japanese government are water resistant kits that incorporate reagent tools required to detect drugs.

These kits will assist in early detection of drugs, from the first stage of analysis which will in turn assist officers identify drug and contaminant types and substances within a short span of time.

These portable kits will significantly enhance the ability of frontline officers to intercept drug trafficking which in turn enables rapid identification of suspected materials at crime scenes across different regions of the Maldives.

The government of Japan has expressed commitment to endure friendship with the Maldives and assured that they will substantially contribute to promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the archipelago and to protect international public goods, having sound and robust rule of law as one of the pillars to ensure a rules-based world.