Seven individuals have been arrested for vandalizing police property and threatening officers, in Fenfushi island of Alif Dhaal atoll.

Maldives Police Service revealed that a group of seven men threatened police officers and vandalized their property at around 11:30pm on Saturday. One of them was arrested the same night and the others were arrested under a court order the following day.

Arrested were seven Maldivian men, aged 26, 34, 37, 32, 31, 22 and 27 respectively.

According to the police, the incident was in retaliation to rigorous police activity to tackle drug users and stop the inflow of drugs in to the island. Police have routinely carried out stop and search operations on suspected individuals and intercepted packages under their names from cargo boats.

Police went on to reveal that these individuals had gathered outside the island’s Police Station and threatened officers stationed there and consecutively attempted to break down the door.

Omadhoo Magistrate Court has since remanded two out of the seven arrested by five days and the remaining five by 10 days.