Home minister Umar Naseer who heads a national enquiry commission constituted by the president to investigate the blast told reporters that the eight suspects are wanted in two separate cases related to the explosion. They are in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand, he added. “I urge them to come here voluntarily and cooperate with the investigation. Otherwise, we’ll have to bring them through the Interpol,” the minister said, during the press conference at the President’s Office capital Male. “They’ve been evading justice after committing an act of terrorism in the Maldives.” Umar identified the eight as Mohamed Allam Latheef, Mohamed Hussein, Mohamed Visham, Mohamed Aseel Ahmed, Ahmed Ashraf, Hussein Sinan and Ahmed Ishfah Ali. Allam is a close associate of the now detained Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor. He is one of the four shareholders of a company that owns Hibilhadhoo island in Baa Atoll, which is being developed as a resort, from where the armed forces had discovered a large weapons stash. The weapons showcased during a press conference Saturday included several hand guns, a T56 assault rifle and a MP5 sub-machine gun. In addition, a large quantity of bomb making material were also displayed at the press briefing. Ashraf, known by his social media moniker of Shumba Gong, is also a self-declared supporter of the embattled vice president. Vice President Adheeb was arrested last week over the blast aboard the presidential speedboat carrying the president in September. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim were travelling to Male from the airport on September 28 when the explosion took place. They had returned home that morning after concluding their visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage. Following the blast, security forces have launched a nationwide crackdown on the vice president and his associates. Several of the vice president's associates had been arrested while most of the residences raided by authorities in the past month have had close links to Adheeb.