Sixteen individuals have been arrested and 12 kilogrammes of drugs seized in a major police operation carried out across Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu atolls.

The operation, conducted between 2 and 13 November, was led by the Drug Enforcement Department, Counter Narcotics Intelligence, and South Police following intelligence reports of narcotics being smuggled into the Maldives by sea.

According to police, the arrests include seven men and one woman from Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, five men from Vaadhoo, and three men from Malé City, with ages ranging from 24 to 45. Officers searched 18 houses, guesthouses, offices, uninhabited islands, two vacant plots, two cars and five motorcycles during the operation, resulting in the recovery of a significant quantity of illicit substances. Three suspects have been remanded for 30 days, six for 15 days, one for 18 days and another for 10 days, while the investigation remains ongoing.

Police stated that details of the operation were not disclosed earlier due to its links with the wider national anti-narcotics effort under Operation Alimagu, noting that secrecy was necessary to prevent the loss of critical evidence.