One individual who smuggled one kilogram of drugs into Maldives and three individuals who went to retrieve it in a handover have been arrested. All four of these individuals are Indian nationals.

According to their remand sentences, the individual that trafficked the drugs into Maldives via their suitcase is Amit Kumar, 36.

A controlled delivery operation that was subsequently carried out resulted in the arrest of three Indian nationals who went to take possession of the drugs. They are Rahul Nishad, 23, Anil Kumar, 26, and Akaash Yadhav, 36.

The court remanded them yesterday for two days. According to Criminal Court Judge Ibrahim Ihsaan, this is because arrangements have not been made for a translator as of yet.

The remand orders state that many individuals were involved in smuggling the drugs into Maldives, and everyone who was arrested in this case were done so according to procedure.

Recent arrests in drugs being smuggled into Maldives have seen an increase of Indian youths. In one such case, the defense lawyer told the court that some of those who were arrested stated that they were picked as winners in a lucky draw to be sent to Maldives. The lawyer also said they were told they were being given a sample of a product being sold in Maldives.

In the court sentence for another case, a lawyer had stated that those who were arrested were tricked by others into smuggling the drugs into Maldives, and some of the youth that were arrested were university students. The lawyer went on to say that they were brought to Maldives as a prize in a lucky draw, with similar cases seeing "innocent children being tricked" into smuggling drugs into Maldives.

At the time, the police stated in court that there are four cases that have this same pattern, but the alleged initial involvement in each of the crimes were different in every case. The police said this can be seen in the Mobile Forensic Report as well. 

The Indian Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) sent out an advisory in April expressing the concern of an increase of Indian nationals out of the foreigners who have been smuggling drugs into Maldives.

The NCB recommended not to take possession of anything that someone you do not know may attempt to hand over to you at airports, seaports, transit points and traveling in general and to always be aware of your own possessions such as bags and luggage.