Sri Lankan delegation arrives in Maldives to discuss transfer of six suspects arrested from drug boat

A high-level delegation from Sri Lanka has arrived in the Maldives to discuss the transfer of six suspects arrested from a vessel seized with more than 300 kilograms of narcotics while operating in Maldivian waters.

According to Sri Lankan media, the delegation includes officials from the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau and the Sri Lankan Navy. The visit follows a joint operation in which Sri Lankan authorities provided intelligence to Maldivian counterparts regarding a suspected drug trafficking vessel operating in the region.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) reported that the vessel was intercepted during a routine patrol of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone by the Coast Guard. Two Sri Lankan vessels were taken into custody by the MNDF Coast Guard on the night of November 5, approximately 137 nautical miles east of V. Foththeyo Muli.

MNDF revealed that the operation was initiated after a surveillance drone from the Air Corps detected a foreign vessel engaged in illegal activity, prompting the Coast Guard’s Special Boat Squadron to intercept and secure the target.

While Maldivian authorities described the operation as a result of drone surveillance, Sri Lankan media have reported that it was carried out based on intelligence shared by Sri Lanka concerning an international drug trafficking network that allegedly used the country as a transit point. The vessel and its six crew members were subsequently detained.

Discussions between Maldivian and Sri Lankan officials are ongoing regarding the transfer of the six suspects to Sri Lanka. Authorities in both countries are continuing investigations to identify the mastermind behind the smuggling operation and the ownership of the seized narcotics.