The Maldives Police Service (MPS) had seized more than 1.6 tons of drugs during the past four years.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the police institution revealed that the drugs were confiscated through multiple operations conducted by the authority under efforts to crack down on drugs smuggling and trafficking cases across the archipelago nation and curb narcotics abuse.

As such, MPS revealed that over the course of the past four years, the authority had successfully cracked down on 562 drug operations spanning the capital as well as outlying atolls.

Search operations and raids were conducted on residential islands as well as uninhabited islands, residences, vehicles and vessels among many other locations.

A total of 1.6 tons of drugs were confiscated throughout these operations, in total. These included seized cocaine, cannabis, heroin and other types of drugs.

A total of 11,955 individuals were arrested in connection with 6,165 different cases linked to drugs, in the past four years. Arrested included 10,497 Maldivians and 781 foreign nationals.

416 women and 261 minors were among those arrested.

Out of the 6,165 drug-related cases, investigations had been concluded and charges had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office regarding 2,681 cases.

These included 886 cases forwarded for prosecution in 2019, 739 in 2020, 598 in 2021 and 458 in the ongoing year.

Within the past four years, 35 drug cafés operational in the Greater Malé Region had been shuttered.

Under efforts to destroy the confiscated drugs and alcohol in police custody, the authority had destroyed 39,679 bottles, cans, tanks and other storage units of alcohol.

Further, the police institution revealed that a total of 1.9 tons of drugs including those seized earlier, have also been destroyed so far.

During a press conference hosted on Wednesday, the Minister of Home Affairs, Sheikh Imran Abdulla and Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed briefed the public on the victory achieved over the past four years regarding counter-narcotics operations.

At the presser, CP Hameed highlighted that the authority places the highest priority on drug operations and assured that they are closely monitoring the networks linked to drug smuggling and trafficking across the Maldives, over the course of the past four years.

Going on to shed light on the issue of criminal gangs across the scatter of islands, Home Minister Imran noted that a lot of work has been carried out to curb and hinder criminal activities linked to gangs.

Minister Imran also assured the people that the incumbent administration is working resiliently to protect the people from threats posed by such criminal gangs.