In a bid to combat the sale and trafficking of drugs, the government has made the installation of tracking devices on marine vessels, mandatory.

This was announced by the President’s Office on Monday.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu reached the decision following recommendations from his Cabinet of Ministers.

The decision was based upon a paper submitted by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology during a cabinet meeting held on Monday.

The president has resolved to implement "Vessel Tracking Devices" on marine vessels and systematically monitor their activities in a bid to successfully bring an end to the trafficking of narcotic drugs across the island nation.

The decision to install and oversee marine vessels via tracking devices strategically supports the anti-drug operations conducted by the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

Further, it will also address the widespread issue of drug trafficking across the Maldives.

The president has also announced that the Sea Vessel Safety Regulation (2015/R-229) will be revised to enforce the mandatory installation of tracking devices on all marine vessels.

Monday’s cabinet meeting also saw the president reaching a decision to establish a comprehensive system to track the movements of vessels on which the tracking devices are to be installed.

MPS’s Maritime Operations Center and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)’s Maritime Rescue Coordination will monitor them, jointly.