A Bangladeshi national has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of smuggling narcotics into the Maldives, authorities confirmed.
According to the Maldives Police Service, the sentence was handed down by the Criminal Court following an investigation into the case involving 36-year-old Bangladeshi citizen MD Sohab Mia.
Police said the case began on June 28, 2024, when Sohab arrived in the Maldives on US-Bangla Airlines flight BS337. During routine screening of luggage at Velana International Airport, airport authorities detected suspicious items in his baggage while conducting an X-ray scan.
Following the alert, officers carried out a detailed search of his belongings. During the inspection, authorities discovered a packet containing suspected narcotics concealed inside a laptop bag.
The seized substance was later sent for forensic examination, which confirmed that it was 536 grams of methamphetamine, a highly potent stimulant drug.
Police stated that investigators gathered extensive evidence during the inquiry, including laboratory analysis of the seized drugs and statements from officers involved in the operation. The compiled evidence was presented to the Criminal Court as part of the prosecution’s case.
After reviewing the evidence, the court found Sohab guilty under the Maldives’ Drugs Act and imposed a life sentence. However, after deducting the time he had already spent in custody during the investigation and trial process, the effective prison term was calculated as 23 years, 3 months, and 25 days.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court also ordered Sohab to pay a fine of MVR 100,000.
Police stated that the conviction reflects strengthened cooperation among law enforcement agencies working to prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs into the Maldives. Authorities also emphasized that efforts are continuing to detect narcotics at the country’s entry points and to ensure that individuals involved in drug trafficking face strict legal consequences.
