Sri Lankan fishing boat drug bust: five remanded
The suspects were slapped with a 30-day remand period
Foreign fishing vessel suspected of engaging in illegal activities in Maldivian waters
Five individuals have been arrested and remanded in connection with the Sri Lankan fishing boat drug bust.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) on Tuesday revealed that the detention period has been set for the suspects who were arrested onboard the Sri Lankan fishing vessel that had illegally entered Maldivian territory. MPS revealed that the suspects were slapped with a 30-day remand period by the Kulhudhuffushi Magistrate Court on Monday.
Authorities cracked down on a fishing vessel carrying a massive drug shipment in Maldivian waters earlier this week. 344 kg of crystal meth and 124.6 kg of cocaine were found on a Sri Lankan fishing vessel that was seized while operating illegally in Maldivian waters. The vessel was seized by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard sometime in the early hours of Sunday.
According to the police institution, the vessel was inspected by Kulhudhuffushi City Police and MNDF Coast Guard on Sunday morning and was brought to Kulhudhuffushi harbor. Speaking to the press, Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau revealed that the Sri Lankan fishing vessel was seized at around 12:45 am on Sunday, off the coast of Makunudhoo island.
Police have stated that the vessel, named "Ashan Putha," had five crew members on board at the time of the raid, all of whom were Sri Lankan men.
The five men arrested and remanded are Rajapaksa Gamage Dinusha Madumal, 21, Muttima Patabendige Amishk Sanjeeva Kumara, 22, Chamod Diwanga Dilakawa, 22, Wijeweera Gunaratne Mahavidome, 37, and Lawrence Hewage Sarat, 56.
Further investigations are currently underway in connection with the case.
