The Criminal Court has ordered the remand of an Indian national until the conclusion of his trial following an attempt to smuggle over a kilogram of narcotics into the Maldives.

The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Jainab Wajid Ali and 21-year-old Mohamed Nawaz Dayatar, were apprehended in early March. They were initially intercepted by Maldives Customs Service officials before being handed over to the Maldives Police Service for further investigation.

According to the court order issued on Wednesday night, Nawaz has been remanded in custody until the end of his trial. The second suspect, Jainab, was granted a 30-day remand period. While the court did not specify the exact reasoning for the different remand durations, records indicate that Nawaz failed to cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation.

The court documents revealed that the police attempted to conduct a controlled delivery operation following the discovery of the drugs. However, Nawaz reportedly refused to comply and repeatedly disregarded instructions provided by the investigating officers, hindering the operation’s success.

This case highlights a concerning trend, as authorities have noted an increase in the number of foreign nationals arrested for drug trafficking offenses at the border in recent months.