Alya Sharsa Naseer, taken into custody in April for her involvement in smuggling a significant amount of drugs, has claimed that her co-defendant, Aminath Roona, influenced her and coerced her into committing the offense.

Alya was initially detained on April 17 upon her arrival in the Maldives by flight. She was apprehended at Velana International Airport after a customs interception. That night, Roona was apprehended in Hulhumale' during a collaborative operation by Drug Enforcement and Counter Narcotics Intelligence.

When the two women appeared in the Criminal Court on Saturday for a custody review, Alya's attorney informed the court that she posed a danger to herself because of her mental health issues, and that she had met Roona during her treatment.

Alya’s camp claimed that Roona manipulated her, exploited her for criminal activities, and arranged for her to go overseas for those reasons.

Roona's attorney informed the court that she was kept in isolation in a cell lacking a toilet. He urged that she receive proper treatment, stating her mental health was worsening.

Authorities had earlier claimed that Roona was the individual leading the smuggling operation.

The original arrest warrant indicated that the provisional weight of the seized drugs from the two suspects was 1.8 kilograms. Nonetheless, a subsequent remand order altered the amount to 1.5 kilograms.

Importing or exporting drugs is a grave crime under the Narcotics Act. Section 104 indicates that the act of importing or exporting any medication is a crime that can lead to life imprisonment and a monetary penalty ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 10 million.