All crew members except the captain of a vessel apprehended for drug smuggling have been released.
The vessel, Mutha Diamond, was seized in March for attempting to smuggle in 7 kilograms of drugs into the country. The boat’s crew, comprising of ten individuals from India and Indonesian, were initially detained. While one crew member was released earlier, the state appealed the decision, although the High Court did not accept the appeal.
The remand of those arrested was extended more than seven times before the release of all except the captain. The captain’s detention was most recently extended by another 30 days.
Reports suggest that the vessel has also been released, and already departed from the Maldives with a new set of crew. However, the police did not comment on this. Although the ship has been released, its CCTV footage has been obtained for investigation.