Cases of theft reported to police last month increased by 46 percent compared to January 2013, according to crime statistics from the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
A total of 623 cases of theft were reported to police in January – an average of 20 cases a day – while 427 cases were reported in the same period last year.
Some 51 cases of theft and four cases of robbery have been reported so far in February.
Cases of robbery also rose from 54 in January 2013 to 88 cases last month.
Reported instances of theft had increased dramatically in 2012 compared to the previous year. While 4,734 cases of theft were reported in 2011, the number rose to 6,572 in 2012 – a 38 percent annual increase.
The figure climbed to 6,681 in 2013.
Robbery and theft currently account for roughly 50 percent of crimes reported to police.
Next to theft, the second highest number of cases reported in January 2014 involved drugs.
The number of drug cases filed last month reached 461, which represents a 56 percent hike compared to January 2013, during which police began investigating 295 cases.
The total number of crimes reported to police meanwhile increased by 20 percent compared with January of last year. While 1,742 cases were reported this year, the figure was 1,436 in January 2013.
Apart from theft, robbery, and drugs, other crimes reported in January this year included 100 cases of assault, 40 cases of sexual offences, 21 cases of domestic violence, six cases of counterfeit and forgery, 49 cases of vandalism, 17 cases of bounced cheques, 44 cases of embezzlement, and 150 lost items reported.
Meanwhile, at 189 cases, traffic accidents declined by eight percent last month compared to the same period in 2013.
Falling thieves
In November 2013, two men died after falling from buildings in the capital Malé during attempted robberies.
On November 15, a 29-year-old died of head injuries sustained in a fall from the fifth floor of the Galolhu Muthi residence.
One day later, a 31-year-old fell from the fourth floor of Henveiru Alikurige while attempting to jump on to the roof of a neighbouring house.
His foot reportedly got caught on an outdoor air-conditioning unit, which came loose and fell on his head.
Both thieves fell to their death while attempting to escape after being caught by the residents.
On January 7, a 27-year-old man fell from the fifth floor of Maafanu Mundhooge after a break-in. He survived the fall with minor injuries after landing on a pile of sand.
Three days later, a 32-year-old woman fell from the fourth floor of Manchangoalhi Light Corner during an alleged robbery attempt.
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Thieves are usually executed nowadays, since locals know that the police will just let them walk free. The preferred method of execution is usually throwing them from buildings.
Still, That's the sort of crime you get in a country whose president is a drug lord.
we have a better leader now and this will be hard to digest by Nasheed and his allies.
This is why Nasheed had called many times to come out on the road and start the violence .
But now people are sick of him and he can not mobilize his gangs like he used to be.
Drug load in this country is Nasheed and he is the man who is well known for using them.
He is always intoxicated and out of 24hrs cycles he will not be a normal status even for a second.
This is figure is not that alarming, 14 robberies per 100000 living in congested Male’ , you can say compare to the hardship due to appalling socio economic status in this crowded place, you can say this is nothing. But definitely this will climb every year and the future is more alarming with this moronic Islamist government which can’t tackle 21st century global issues on crimes. You need a modern government which is capable of eradicating menace like religion, poverty and ignorance that blinds people and reduces them to mare living animals without brains.
Hero is that guy.. Kuribee or something.. Who blames EVERYTHING on Nasheed.
Blaming Nasheed over crime rates going up while he lost power since February 2012 shows your true colors. No my friend, this is the work of Waheed and his government friends. Nobody else can be blamed. It remains to be seen if Yameens government can change this.
This is to be expected in a country where 1 in 2 is a junkie.....50,000 crackheads in Male alone.....scary scary.
@ MissIndia NewDelhi
I do believe however that - given that you are really indian - a citizen of a country where rape is a daily and usual crime, should not call 50% of another countries citizen "junkies or crackheads".