Sri Lankan fishing boat carrying 300kg of drugs seized in Maldivian waters

A Sri Lankan fishing boat carrying a large quantity of drugs has been seized in Maldivian waters with the assistance of a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) drone, according to reports from Sri Lankan media.

Maldives Police Service confirmed the operation to Mihaaru News tonight but said further details have not yet been disclosed.

According to MNDF, the vessel was detected during a surveillance operation conducted by the Air Corps using a military drone, after radar identified a foreign vessel operating illegally in Maldivian waters. The Coast Guard Special Boat Squadron then intercepted and took the vessel into custody.

While MNDF has not released details on the vessel’s cargo, Sri Lankan newspapers reported that the ship was carrying around 300 kilograms of heroin and crystal meth (“ice”).

The boat, manned by six Sri Lankan fishermen, was reportedly apprehended based on intelligence shared by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Sri Lankan authorities are expected to dispatch a team to the Maldives to assist in the investigation.

This comes shortly after the Sri Lankan Coast Guard seized another vessel carrying over 250 kilograms of crystal meth and 85 kilograms of heroin in Sri Lankan waters.