Maldives Police Service has launched an investigation to determine how three Somalians arrived in the Maldives in a dinghy off the coast of Fuvahmulah City.

The police said today that the three Somali men, who were taken into MNDF custody yesterday from the Fuvahmulah area, are now under police custody.

They stated that efforts are underway to determine how these individuals entered Maldivian territory. The police also mentioned that they are sharing information with relevant authorities and taking necessary measures regarding these three individuals.

The dinghy with the three Somali nationals was spotted about 10 miles northwest of Fuvahmulah. MNDF has brought the dinghy into Fuvahmulah harbor under Coast Guard supervision.

Previously, in 2008, a group of Somalis in a dinghy had also landed in Fuvahmulah. At that time, MNDF stated that they were Somali pirates and that the dinghy was a vessel used for hijacking ships. It was reported as the first instance of pirates and a pirate vessel being captured in the Maldives.

On June 22 of this year, three Somali nationals in a dinghy were also found on Vavathi, an uninhabited island in N. Atoll.