Maldives Police Service has imposed a travel ban on the captain and the chief engineer of the tugboat in which former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor tried to flee the country. He made the attempt while his passport held by the authorities in accordance with an order from the Supreme Court of Maldives.
The police revealed an investigation have been launched over the tugboat named ''Virgo-9'' on which the former vice president tried to illegally enter India. A request has been made at Maldives Customs Service to hold the tugboat and prohibit the vessel to leave Maldives without permission, according to the police service.
Moreover, the police said although a travel ban is imposed on captain and chief engineer, other crew members have the permit to leave Maldives. However, the police maintained no arrests have been made so far.
The former vice president was apprehended when he arrived in Thoothukudi, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The former vice-president travelled on the tugboat which left Maldives on July 27. Following his capture, he asked for political asylum from India, which was denied before he was sent back in the tug boat to Maldives.
Adeeb is currently held in custody over a Supreme Court order to detain him until end of the trial on the Maabinhura embezzlement case.