An Indian national who smuggled drugs inside a shoe upon arrival in the Maldives has been arrested once again.
Suraj Karwar, 30, was arrested when his luggage was searched, and narcotics were found inside two tennis shoes located in a bag retrieved from it.
According to the order issued by the court today extending the individual's detention, the substances contained within two packets suspected to be narcotics have tested positive for THC.
The court order stated that a detention period of five days was granted to provide a short duration, as he requested an opportunity for a state defense lawyer.
Although the order states that the suspicion is for a major drug case, the weight of the narcotics found on the individual was not specified.
The number of Indian nationals among foreigners smuggling narcotics into the Maldives has recently increased. As the issue intensified, the country's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) expressed concern and issued a special advisory last month.
During that month, two Indian women were arrested at Velana Airport with 2.17 kilograms of narcotics, and an Indian woman and man were arrested with 2.4 kilograms of drugs.
Five Indian nationals were also arrested in March. This was across three separate cases.
Among those intercepted at Velana Airport, 6.7 kilograms of hashish oil was found on the first two individuals, while 1.83 kg of hashish oil was found on the next two individuals arrested.
Another Indian national was arrested last month while smuggling narcotics into Addu via air. More than 2 kilograms of narcotics were found on that individual.
Even if a small amount of narcotics is found on a person, severe punishments are given, and life imprisonment as well as the death penalty for serious offenses are now included in the law.
According to the amendment brought to the Drugs Act in December of last year, the types and weights of narcotics for which the death penalty can be determined are:
- The narcotics smuggled into the Maldives being an amount of cannabis exceeding 350 grams,
- The narcotics smuggled into the Maldives being an amount of diamorphine exceeding 250 grams,
- If the narcotics smuggled into the Maldives are a drug included in Schedule 1 other than cannabis and diamorphine, it being an amount exceeding 100 grams,
If a punishment is determined against a person in such a case, all legal points of that sentence and the manner in which events transpired in the case must be reviewed again by the higher courts.
