Dawood’s cartel and LTTE ties may turn Maldivian waters into drug transit route

Indian intelligence agencies have uncovered growing cooperation between Dawood Ibrahim’s crime syndicate and remnants of Sri Lanka’s LTTE, raising fears of a revived narcotics route through South India and the wider Indian Ocean.

Reports suggest Dawood’s cartel, facing pressure in northern India, is leveraging the LTTE’s sea routes and local networks to traffic synthetic drugs produced in rural areas. The LTTE’s deep knowledge of coastal terrain offers the syndicate a strategic advantage.

Security experts warn this alliance could expand smuggling operations across southern maritime corridors that border Maldivian waters, potentially making the archipelago a transit hub for illicit cargo if surveillance lapses.

The LTTE’s remnants, meanwhile, are believed to be seeking funds from dormant foreign accounts to rebuild their influence, adding financial capability to the criminal partnership.

Regional observers urge close coordination between India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives to counter the evolving threat.