Eight individuals have been arrested in possession of over nine kilograms of drugs and over MVR three million in cash.

According to authorities, large amounts of drugs and cash were seized during court-ordered searches of five homes in the capital city, following a tip-off to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) Drug Intelligence Unit on January 31st.

Additionally, large amounts of drugs and cash were found during a court-ordered search of four homes and a motorcycle in the capital city, following a tip-off received on February 6th, said MPS.

Authorities further revealed that eight Maldivian men have been taken under police custody in relation to the two operations. Further, they state that over nine kilograms of drugs were seized during the operations in addition to MVR 1,522,785 (one million five hundred twenty-two thousand seven hundred eighty-five) and USD 173,831 (one hundred seventy-three thousand eight hundred thirty-one) in cash.

Police state that both operations were part of a special operation to crack-down on a drug-trafficking network.

Arrested were three 25-year-old men, one 37-year-old man, one 23-year-old man, one 24-year-old man, one 27-year-old man and one 50-year-old man.

The case is undergoing further investigation by the Drug Enforcement Department.