A Pakistani national suspected of being a key mastermind behind smuggling over 36 kilograms of narcotics concealed inside a cargo shipment has been arrested.

Following the initial seizure of the drugs from a shipment brought via a boat this past February, two Maldivian nationals were arrested at the time. They are Hassan Mafaaz (Madaaruge, M. Mulah) and Wisham Mohamed (H. Filmysite), both apprehended on February 12.

Four months after the initial arrests, police executed a court warrant to arrest a 51-year-old Pakistani national named Zafar Ahmed in connection with the ongoing investigation.

According to the police, the suspect resides in the Maldives and serves as a senior official at a local commercial importing company. He is heavily suspected of playing a leading role in organizing the drug importation scheme.