Indian authorities warn travellers of harsh new drug penalties in Maldives, including possible death sentence
India’s Narcotics Control Bureau has issued a strong advisory cautioning citizens travelling to the Maldives that even small quantities of prohibited drugs can now trigger severe punishment under the island nation’s recently toughened anti-narcotics legislation, with large-scale trafficking potentially carrying the death penalty. The alert, released on Thursday, follows amendments to the Maldives’ Drugs Act that came into force in March. The changes significantly escalate penalties for drug-related offences, including life imprisonment for many cases and capital punishment for major trafficking involving specified thresholds — such as more than 350 grams of cannabis or 250 grams of heroin — subject…