Investigation widens as police arrest Pakistani resident linked to 36‑kg drug shipment

A Pakistani man has been arrested in connection with a major drug‑smuggling operation involving a shipment that arrived in the Maldives last February.

In February, Customs seized 36.4 kg of hashish oil from the Male' Commercial Harbour, a haul with a street value exceeding MVR 29 million.

According to the Criminal Court’s remand order issued Sunday, the arrest of Pakistani national Zafar Ahmed is linked to the recovery of the 36 kg of drugs from a shipment that arrived on February 10. The order states that he is a resident living in the Maldives and was arrested under a court warrant.

Zafar Ahmed was produced before the Criminal Court and remanded in custody for 15 days. Police have not yet released details of the arrest, but the warrant notes that investigators believe he is the “person in charge” in the case.

Two Maldivians had already been arrested earlier in the investigation: Visham Mohamed, 35, of Male', and Hassan Mafaz, 26, of M. Mulah. Both were arrested in February and remain in custody.

Smuggling 36 kilograms of drugs is considered a highly serious offence under Maldivian law. Such a quantity is automatically treated as drug trafficking, indicating importation for commercial distribution.

Drug smuggling by a foreign national is severely punishable under the Narcotics Act. Foreigners who import drugs are fully subject to Maldivian law. A conviction for drug trafficking carries life imprisonment, defined in the Maldives as 25 years, and a fine ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 10 million.

In cases of this severity, suspects are typically kept in custody pending trial, as they are considered a threat to public safety under the Criminal Procedure Act.