Police announced Tuesday that 50 kg of drugs were found aboard the Iranian vessel which was intercepted late Monday.
The vessel was intercepted in a joint operation conducted by Maldives Police Service and the Coast Guard. The boat ran aground a reef near the suburb of Villimale' en route to capital Male City. Thus the police commenced inspections at the site.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz revealed that the raid has uncovered 50 kg of drugs so far, and the amount is expected to increase as the inspection continues.
The drugs were hidden behind a false fibre layer inside the vessel's compartments, according to Riyaz.
The seven crew members aboard the vessel were arrested and the Criminal Court extended their remands by 15 days on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla and senior officers of Police, Coast Guard and Maldives National Defence Force visited the area to observe the efforts to float the vessel.
The Iranian vessel was intercepted 126 nautical miles west of Baa Atoll and is reported to be extensively involved in drug trafficking across the region.
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