Prosecutor General (PG) has pressed charges against 13 individuals who were arrested for smuggling narcotics to Maldives through an Iranian fishing vessel.
The Iranian fishing vessel, named Al-Shabaan, was seized in Maldivian waters on October 7. The individuals arrested in relation to the incident include 6 individuals on board the Iranian vessel, 4 individuals on board a Maldivian fishing vessel that was operating close to the Iranian vessel at the time of its capture and 3 others related to the narcotics network. They have been charged with smuggling narcotics in to Maldives.
Maldives Police Service said the narcotics seized from the Iranian vessel weighs 70 kilograms and are valued at approximately USD 3.8 million.
Narcotics were found on another Iranian fishing vessel on November 3, after Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) attended to a distress call from the vessel.