A person who was reported missing has been arrested in a drug-related case.

Earlier this month, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) had publicly announced a search for Abdulla Shihad from Manadhoo island of Noonu atoll. The police institution had stated that they began searching for the 37-year-old man after his family reported that he had not been heard from since 04:51pm on March 8.

According to the police, the matter was reported to the authority at around 08:05pm on March 10. The police institution had revealed that they were working on locating him and that Shihad was living in the congested capital, Malé City. In addition to this, the police had disclosed at the time, citing the family, that his phone was also unreachable.

According to a court order made public on Saturday, he has been arrested in a drug-related case. The Criminal Court issued a 10-day remand period for him on Saturday.

The court order for his detention states that he is suspected of committing a major criminal offense, which includes importing and trafficking drugs into the Maldives.