The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has formally denied media reports suggesting that a Sri Lankan fishing vessel recently seized with a massive drug haul had loaded its narcotics within Maldivian territorial waters.

The clarification came after a Sri Lankan newspaper reported that the vessel later confirmed to be carrying 355 kilograms of drugs had obtained the illicit cargo while operating inside Maldivian jurisdiction.

According to officials, the fishing vessel was intercepted by Sri Lankan authorities and subsequently escorted to the port of Dikkovita, where its six crew members and the vessel’s owner were taken into custody.

Addressing the controversy, MPS said it had received confirmation from its Sri Lankan law enforcement counterparts that the narcotics were not loaded from within Maldivian waters, dispelling earlier speculation regarding the origin of the shipment.

Sri Lankan authorities have since launched an investigation into what is being described as a major narcotics trafficking operation.