A plastic bag containing suspicious items has been recovered in the search for missing boat captain Mohamed Yoosuf.

Mohamed Yoosuf, 37 and native to Kulhudhuffushi City in Haa Dhaal atoll, has been reported missing since Monday.

The team of divers searching for him in the region where his boat ran aground a patch of reef, found a towel, a plastic bag containing a knife and a few electronics.

The discovery was made on Thursday, where the towel was discovered 48 meters underwater and the other items were fished 41 meters underwater.

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) revealed that the items will be handed over to Maldives Police Service (MPS) who officially began the investigation on Monday.

While items were recovered during the search for the missing boat captain, it is not clear whether they have any connections to his disappearance.

Authorities began the search via air on Wednesday and revealed that an MNDF helicopter is active in the region the boat captain went missing, with coastguard ship “Nooradheen” also active via sea.

MNDF received the report at around 08:09am on Monday morning after the cargo-loaded vessel ran aground a patch of reef near Kagi, Kaafu atoll with three people on board at the time.