Maldives Police Service said MVR 94,000 that was mistakenly handed over to the wrong person as employee salaries for a resort under development has been recovered and returned to its owner.

Police said a case was reported on 12 March regarding a missing envelope containing MVR 94,000 that had been handed over at the T-Jetty in Malé in the early hours of 10 March. The money was intended to be delivered to the captain of a vessel.

According to police investigations, the cash represented salaries for employees of a resort being developed in Alif Dhaal Atoll. Police said the envelope was handed to the captain of a different vessel than the one intended.

Police said CCTV footage from the area did not clearly identify the vessel involved. Officers then visited the area, questioned several individuals and contacted vessel captains operating there. Through this process, police identified the vessel that had received the envelope.

Police said the captain of the vessel confirmed that an envelope brought by an individual was found in a locker on board. The cash was subsequently handed over to police on Monday night and returned to its owner.

Police advised the public to exercise care when carrying and handing over cash. They said verifying the recipient’s identity, confirming the vessel’s name and contact details, and obtaining written or digital confirmation of handover can help reduce similar incidents.