Eight individuals have been arrested after a foiled attempt at smuggling drugs into an outlying island.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that the arrests were made during a drug operation conducted on Wednesday, jointly by the police stationed in Maduvvari and Meedhoo islands in Raa atoll as well as officers of the Police Intelligence Unit.

Arrested in connection to the foiled drug smuggling attempt are two 24-year-olds, two 25-year-olds, two 21-year-olds, a 23-year-old and a 19-year-old, all Maldivian men.

During the operation officers confiscated a film cannister stuffed with suspected narcotics, from a boat in the lagoon of Kudarikilu island in Baa atoll.

The case is under further investigation, police confirmed.

The arrest of eight drug suspects comes as part of larger efforts by the police institution to crack down on major drug networks in order to curb drug trafficking and smuggling across the country, MPS reaffirmed that such operations will continue across the archipelago nation in the future as well.