A lower jaw bone (mandible), suspected to be human, was found yesterday washed ashore on the beaches of Kan'dufushi, an uninhabited island in Thaa atoll.

The mandible was found by a Th. Veymandoo youth, Hussain Shah, who had gone on a picnic to Kan'dufushi yesterday. 

Shah stated that he spotted the mandible on the beach, and immediately reported this to police. Police then arrived on the island and has recovered the mandible, Shah said. 

Police confirmed that they received reports of a group on a picnic at Kan'dufushi finding suspected human bones. 

However, police said that through their investigation so far, they have not yet been able to confirm whether the mandible is human or of another animal. 

Police said that they are continuing to investigate. 

The latest missing persons report from Thaa atoll was in April last year. This missing individual was Ali Mushfiq Mohamed, who jumped overboard when the 'Holhudhoo Boat', carrying goods from Thaa Atoll to Laamu Atoll caught fire. 

At the time, MNDF conducted a vast search and rescue operation attempting to find Mushfiq, who was a student of architecture at the Polytechnic. However, he remains missing. 

It is not yet clear whether there is any relation between the mandible found on Kan'dufushi and Mushfiq, or any other missing persons.