Maldives customs officers found 15kg of cannabis in the luggage of a 44-year-old Malaysian who arrived at the Velana International Airport on Emirates flight EK656 from Dubai on Saturday morning.

Superintendent of police Mohamed Afzal said the seized cannabis had an estimated street value of 12.3 million Maldivian rufiyaa (RM3.7 million) and initial tests confirmed the substance to be cannabis.

“Following the discovery, our drug enforcement unit initiated a controlled delivery operation.

“This operation led to the arrest of another suspect, a 41-year-old Malaysian male, last night,” he said.

The two suspects have been remanded for five days.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working closely with international law enforcement partners to gather additional intelligence,” chief inspector Ahmed Waheed said.

Police believe the suspects have links with an international drug trafficking network.

The cannabis haul is the biggest such seizure in the Maldives this year.