A Bangladeshi national has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Criminal Court for smuggling drugs into Maldives.
Police said the court found MD Sohab Mia, 36, guilty under the Drugs Act following an investigation into the case.
According to police, Sohab was arrested on June 28, 2024, after a packet of suspected drugs was discovered in a laptop bag he was carrying. The discovery was made while scanning his luggage after he arrived in the Maldives on US-Bangla Airlines flight BS337 at Velana International Airport.
Analysis of the items later confirmed the substance to be 536 grams of methamphetamine, police said.
Police said the investigation involved collecting evidence, analysing the seized substances and obtaining statements from officers involved in the case before submitting the findings to the court.
The court sentenced Sohab to 23 years, three months and 25 days in prison, which under Maldivian law is treated as a life sentence, and imposed a fine of MVR 100,000.
Police said the case reflects ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to prevent the smuggling of drugs into the Maldives.
Police added that special efforts are being made to take the strictest legal action against drug traffickers.
