‘Life term or death’: NCB warns Indians travelling to Maldives after it toughens drug laws
Under amended laws that came into effect in March, the Maldives has instituted some of the world's harshest penalties for narcotics.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Thursday issued a strong advisory to Indian citizens travelling to or visiting the Maldives, cautioning them about the country’s recently strengthened anti-narcotics laws that now impose life imprisonment and even the death penalty for drug-related offences.
“The advisory, triggered by amendments to the Maldives’ Drugs Act effective March 2026, highlights significantly harsher penalties – even for possession of small quantities of prohibited substances. In cases of large-scale trafficking, the law prescribes the death penalty, subject to confirmation by a competent Maldivian court,” a NCB spokesperson said.
Recent arrests of foreign nationals, including Indian citizens, in the Maldives for drug offences have prompted the alert. “The High Commission of India in Malé has echoed the warning, urging nationals to strictly adhere to local regulations,” the spokesperson added.
“Citizens encountering suspicious approaches should report to the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933. The NCB reiterated India’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking, calling on travellers to stay vigilant and law-abiding abroad amid rising global enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
Here’s the NCB checklist for Maldives travellers:
• Never carry any package, baggage, or item for others without verifying contents
• Exercise extreme caution at airports, ports, and transit points if approached by strangers offering to hand over goods
• Keep full control of personal baggage at all times
• Note that ignorance of the law is no defence, with violations inviting severe punishment.
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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Thursday issued a strong advisory to Indian citizens travelling to or visiting the Maldives, cautioning them about the country’s recently strengthened anti-narcotics laws that now impose life imprisonment and even the death penalty for drug-related offences.
“The advisory, triggered by amendments to the Maldives’ Drugs Act effective March 2026, highlights significantly harsher penalties – even for possession of small quantities of prohibited substances. In cases of large-scale trafficking, the law prescribes the death penalty, subject to confirmation by a competent Maldivian court,” a NCB spokesperson said.
Recent arrests of foreign nationals, including Indian citizens, in the Maldives for drug offences have prompted the alert. “The High Commission of India in Malé has echoed the warning, urging nationals to strictly adhere to local regulations,” the spokesperson added.
“Citizens encountering suspicious approaches should report to the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933. The NCB reiterated India’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking, calling on travellers to stay vigilant and law-abiding abroad amid rising global enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
Here’s the NCB checklist for Maldives travellers:
• Never carry any package, baggage, or item for others without verifying contents
• Exercise extreme caution at airports, ports, and transit points if approached by strangers offering to hand over goods
• Keep full control of personal baggage at all times
• Note that ignorance of the law is no defence, with violations inviting severe punishment.
