3 Maldivians arrested in India for possible link to international mafia

Three Maldivian men - accused of being members of an international mafia - have been arrested in Cochin, India.

Indian police arrested the three Maldivians and one Indian – a native of Tamil Nadu – with 1.5 liters of hashish oil worth Rs. 4.5 crore.

Indian Express reports the three Maldivians have been identified by police as Azim Habeeb, 33; Mohamed Safoof, 34; and Shifan Ibrahim, 30.

They are suspected of being members of Kona Gold – an international mafia based in Hong Kong.

The three Maldivians were on the wanted list of the Narcotics Control Bureau of India and arrived in Cochin in the guise of tourists.

They were shadowed by the police and arrested from a parking lot.

Indian Express reports that according to the police, the three Maldivian entered India on multiple occasions from Maldives, Thailand and Singapore.

They are accused of planning to smuggle the contraband seized by the police, which was brought from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Maldives through the Cochin International Airport.