Narcotics shipments from Dubai, India totaling 1.5 kg seized

Maldives Customs Service has confiscated two shipments of narcotics totaling 1.5 kilos smuggled into the country from the city of Dubai and neighboring India.

The shipment smuggled in from India was discovered on February 25 when Customs officials did a body scan on a 29-year-old Maldivian man who arose their suspicion at the airport.

A packet containing 506 grams of hashish oil and 162 grams of heroin in six bullets was recovered from his body.

The narcotics recovered from his body totaled 668 grams.

The second shipment was found inside the luggage of a 32-year-old Maldivian man who flew in from Dubai on March 3.

The luggage of the man was checked by airport passenger clearance officers based intel received by authorities.

Narcotics found inside the luggage was heroin which weighed 783 grams with the packing.

Customs said the two men, along with the narcotics seized have been turned over to the police.

A body scanner was installed at the Velana International Airport in October, 2016.

Customs reports three people have been detained with narcotics inside their body so far using the scanner.