Mount Lavinia Magistrate Court has extended the custody of four Maldivians arrested in Sri Lanka. Their remands were extended at the hearing held on Monday, to attain the documents required by the Sri Lankan police. The four locals were arrested from a check point located about 100 kilometres out of Colombo while en route to buy some spare parts for motorcycles, according to media reports.
While some Maldivians who were arrested as part of the heightened security in Sri Lanka have been released, 6 Maldivians remain under police custody. The Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka revealed the detainees are in good care and that the embassy is closely monitoring their situation every day.
Enhanced security operations are in effect across Sri Lanka following the series of bombings which took place on April 21. The security personnel are granted more powers under the state of emergency declared across the country, which allows them to arrest any suspect without any questioning.
Meanwhile, the Maldivian Embassy I Colombo has advised Maldivians currently residing in Sri Lanka to keep passports on them at all times and to avoid going out, unless necessary. The embassy has also asked to contact the hotline to seek any information. The embassy said information and advisory to be delivered will be updated on their official twitter account and website.
The embassy appealed everyone to follow the advices and notices by Sri Lankan authorities and to cooperate with them.