MNDF officer caught with drugs gets conditional bail

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer caught with drugs in their possession has been released on conditional bail.

The Criminal Court ruling in the case confirms police arrested a 21-year-old local from Male' City, who is currently employed at MNDF Coastguard.

Police arrested the individual around 02:45 a.m. on Thursday early morning during a routine police patrol. The officer displayed erratic movements and attempted to flee when police found the individual.

Police officers on the scene had testified of discovering rubber packets containing substances believed to be narcotics from the front and side pockets of the shorts the MNDF officer was wearing, while his urine tested positive for traces of narcotic substances.

The police statement, presented to the court, further revealed the individual does not have any criminal or arrest priors. The investigating officer had also confirmed the individual was an employee of the MNDF, and is not involved in criminal activities.

The investigating officer further confirmed the drugs discovered from the individual insufficiently weighed the trafficking limits, while they were not questioned in the case either.

Although the Criminal Court ruling notes the individual was released on conditional bail, the conditions have not been specified.