Several foreigners have been arrested for allegedly possessing and using drugs, as well as gambling.
Police said that they were arrested on the 16th of this month in a police operation. Police also said that the operation was conducted after it received a tip about the crimes.
Police stated that they arrested 38 men in the operation and that they were all Bangladeshi.
They added that the foreigners have now been handed over to the Maldives Immigration for deportation under the Immigration Act.
There are 178,982 foreigners in the country, according to official government figures. The exact number of people who do not regularly renew their residence permits is unclear.
Over the years, more and more foreigners have been involved in crimes like drug trafficking and gambling as well as illegl sales of goods and other products.
