Authorities have released two individuals arrested under the suspicion of being involved in a sexual assault case reported from a safari boat, docked off Hulhumalé coast.

Police received reports of two individuals having sexually assaulted a foreign woman on board the safari boat at around 5am on Friday.

Officers raided the ship not long after and took two 39-year-old Maldivian men under police custody.

Police revealed on Saturday morning that the two suspects were released from their custody, having cited “insufficient” evidence to keep them detained as investigation proceeds.

The investigation continues, despite the suspects being released.

While it has been revealed that the victim is a foreign woman, authorities are yet to disclose details of the victim such as nationality and other details.

This comes at a time cases of sexual assault have been on the rise, despite the country being in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Very recently, the Prosecutor General pressed charges against an individual accused of sexually assaulting three elderly women in southernmost Addu City.

Further, two cases of sexual assault against minors were also reported from the capital city.