Maldives customs officials have increased screening Bangladesh nationals arriving in the archipelago over a recent surge in drug busts.
Commissioner general of customs Mohamed Junaid told AVAS that customs along with the police have nabbed several Bangladesh nationals while attempting to smuggle drugs into the country over the past month.
"Even after I was appointed which was quite recently, we've noticed that most smugglers were arriving from Bangladesh. So we've now increased screening arrivals from Bangladesh," Junaid explained.
An unknown number of the approximately 100,000 documented and 60,000 undocumented foreign workers in Maldives—primarily Bangladeshis work in the construction and service sectors.
