Two young women arrested with 1.8kg of drugs; remanded for 15 days

Two young women have been arrested from the Velana International Airport with a large quantity of drugs.

Alya Sharsa Naseer, 25, of G. Mutheege‑aage, Male' City, and Aminath Roona, 29, of Bijilee‑ufaa, K. Thulusdhoo, were taken into custody on Friday night with what authorities described as a significant amount of drugs.

Both women have been remanded in custody for 15 days.

They are accused of smuggling, using, possessing and trafficking drugs. According to the arrest warrant report, the drugs found in their possession weighed 1.8 kilograms.

The import and export of drugs is a serious offense under the Narcotics Act, which outlines drug‑related crimes and penalties. Under Section 104, importing or exporting any drug is an offense punishable by life imprisonment and a fine between MVR 100,000 and MVR 10 million.

Under Article 105, possession of more than the legally prescribed threshold is considered trafficking, for example, possession of more than four grams of diamorphine (heroin). This offense carries a penalty of life imprisonment and a substantial fine.

Article 108 states that possessing drugs in quantities below the trafficking threshold is also an offense, with penalties depending on the type and amount of the substance.

Article 106 makes buying, selling and dealing in narcotics an offense punishable by heavy penalties. Drug‑related crimes are classified as criminal felonies.