Police deploy dog squad at airport to combat drug smuggling

Maldives Police Service has deployed its dog squad at Velana International Airport (VIA) in an effort to combat drug smuggling via air transport.

Police, in a post via X, said the dog squad has been deployed at the airport as part of efforts by the authority in collaboration with Maldives Customs Service and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) to stop drug smuggling.

Notably, Customs have recently seized a large number of drugs that were smuggled to the Maldives via air transport.

In this regard, nine kilos of drugs were seized from an air cargo shipment and post packages that arrived in the Maldives on September 18^th and from a 65-year-old Maldivian man who arrived in the Maldives from Sri Lanka on September 16^th.

A man from Addu City was also arrested from VIA on September 17^th while carrying 349 grams of an unspecified drug. 

Notably, Maldives Police Service has recently arrested two Malaysian nationals who the authorities believe to be part of an international drug syndicate.

As per statistics disclosed by the Police, a total of 1,202 cases involving drugs have been reported to the authority so far this year.