The National Drug Agency (NDA) has established a technical committee to enhance efforts in addressing the drug-related challenges in the Maldives.

The technical committee will oversee all technical decisions within the agency and serve as an advisory body to the Drug Court. This includes providing expert advice on handling drug-related cases, determining appropriate punishments, and shaping treatment and rehabilitation programmes for drug users.

Additionally, the committee will ensure continuous technical support for the Drug Court by offering access to qualified teams.

The committee will also be responsible for preparing and submitting an annual report to the National Drug Council. This report will detail case statistics, outcomes, types of cases handled, the number of individuals referred for treatment, and those who successfully completed their rehabilitation programmes.

Beyond its annual reporting, the committee will further identify administrative challenges and document the average time taken to conclude cases and submit it to the Drug Council.

In addition to the technical committee, the NDA announced plans to form a sub-committee in the near future, tasked with reducing narcotic demand, minimising harm caused by drug abuse, and implementing measures to curb the supply of narcotics at a national level.