Six Bangladeshi nationals have been taken into police custody at Velana International Airport after attempting to illegally export a large sum of foreign currency out of the Maldives.

Police said the men were stopped on 18 September 2026 during a special operation carried out based on intelligence received by a task force set up to identify illegal foreign currency transactions. They were intercepted at Velana International Airport as they were preparing to depart for Bangladesh.

The suspects were found in possession of USD 174,161, EUR 56,760, and GBP 1,815, along with currency from a total of 18 different countries. The combined value of the seized money amounts to approximately MVR 3.8 million, according to police.

The confiscated money has been placed under police custody, and the six detained individuals remain in custody as the investigation into the matter continues, police said.