Tag: Asia foundation

Police Commissioner accuses politicians of involvement in gang activity

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has alleged politicians are often responsible for encouraging gang-related activities in the capital island Male’.

Riyaz is quoted in local media as saying that in order to achieve political gains, politicians frequently provide financial incentives to gangs to carry out activities.

“When police attempt to counter gang activity on the island, politicians stand up in defence of these gang members. This is a problem. If politicians, too, wish to develop this country, they too will need to think of the institution. If an individual in the institution does wrong, then action must be taken against that individual. But the institution, as a whole, should remain in place. Politicians need to understand this,” Riyaz said.

Zero-tolerance against gangs: CP Riyaz

Riyaz said Deputy Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed had been placed in charge of the Gang Task Force, created after five stabbings in three days earlier this week.

Riyaz said patrols on the streets of Male’ would be increased, and that should any gang members “gather together even the least”, they will subjected to police searches and immediately placed under detention if “any illegal objects” are found in their possession.

“These instructions have already been issued to police. We will completely enforce upon them the powers granted to us by law. Police have been advised to act under a ‘zero tolerance’ policy and not allow them any leeway,” Riyaz said.

“They have now been mandated with a specific task on official Maldives Police Service paperwork. Intelligence will look into how much detail we have about gangs; who and who belong to specific gangs, who are the leading figures in each of these gangs, and their criminal records. They will also look into those who belong to gangs at different levels of hierarchy in it, what has happened to the cases against them, and at what point the cases against them have been stalled. To overcome this stalling of cases is one of the task force objective,” Riyaz explained.

“We will exert pressure even if the cases are being delayed at the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG). We will call upon them to expedite those cases. Police will also speed things up. We will also call upon the courts to expedite them. Intelligence and investigation [teams] will focus on these things,” he continued.

Riyaz said leading figures of gangs will no longer be given privacy related to ongoing investigations, saying that in future all details concerning them will be revealed to the public.

He further said that should such a case remain pending in court, police will hereafter reveal such information to the public too.

Increased surveillance

Commissioner Riyaz said the intelligence department would try to find evidence strong enough to legally detain gang members, adding that police will act immediately once such information is uncovered.

Riyaz revealed police are running an operation whereby surveillance cameras will be installed in locations with risk of high criminal activity. According to Riyaz, nine such cameras have now been installed and are currently used for monitoring, out of a total target of 50.

Riyaz said existing surveillance cameras were generally installed in areas judged relevant with the intention of monitoring protests and demonstrations.

Gang Task Force

Commissioner Riyaz briefed the Gang Task Force on Wednesday, following his comments to local media the previous day.

Riyaz instructed the task force to re-evaluate the cases against gang members, solve the cases at an elevated speed and complete all necessary work to deliver due penalties to them.

“The Gang Task Force will be overseen by a seven member executive committee, with DCP Waheed heading it. The operation has now been commenced,” a police media official confirmed.

Anxiety over rising gang violence: Asia Foundation

“As in most fledgling democracies, political uncertainty can breed violent acts in an effort to achieve narrow political gains,” stated the Asia Foundation in an article published on its website about gang activities in Male’, a follow up to its 2012 report on the issue.

Asia Foundation stated that “due to high levels of domestic violence, divorce, and broken homes, joining gangs has become a popular choice for Maldivian youth looking outside of traditional family structures for support and protection.”

The foundation, together with local NGO Maldives Institute for Psychological Services, Training And Research (MIPSTAR), is currently conducting a workshop for 34 voluntary participants, including gang leaders and members, aiming to offer counselling, vocational training and to build a relationship between them and security forces to better address the issue.

“Monthly meetings with the police to discuss grievances and strategies to address potential violence serves as a fulcrum to bring all gang members together,” the article stated.

“[One gang member], who has been involved in gangs since he was 16 and is now a senior member, pointed out frustrations over police harassment on the streets and arrests without evidence. He also said that being labeled a gang member results in closer scrutiny by the police officers, which he said was acceptable as long as they are not wrongfully arrested for crimes not committed by them,” it read.

“The discussions reveal that one of the root causes for harassment and wrongful arrests were the beat police officers (police constables and sergeants who are permanently assigned to a neighbourhood) who tend to view all gang members with suspicion and hostility,” the article continued, adding that efforts were now being made to address this “trust deficit, which currently runs high”.

Speaking of the foundation’s program, the article says “The three most dangerous gang members as identified by the police are enrolled in O’ Level (high school diploma) programs and regularly seek individual counselling also offered in the program. They expressed that the present context is challenging. On the one hand, they want to engage actively in the program and reform themselves; but on the other hand, there is also a pressure to engage in illegal activities including contract violence.”

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Gangs thriving amid political instability, political support: Guardian

Political turmoil in the Maldives is fueling gang violence and criminal impunity, reports the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

The gangs are thriving not only because of the drug trade, but due to political parties employing gang members to assault opponents, destroy property, and boost numbers at rallies.

“It’s been a good few months. We’ve been doing well,” one gang leader told Guardian journalist Jason Burke, revealing that the gang had been “providing political parties with muscle to intimidate opponents, swell meetings and provide security.”

“There’s so much demand, we’ve had to appoint someone just to run that side of our operations. Requests are coming in all the time,” the gang leader told the newspaper.

According to the Guardian’s report, “Ibrahim’s outfit of more than 70 members works around the clock, trafficking heroin, enforcing its territory and carrying out what he calls ‘political work’. Ibrahim asks for MVR 10,000 (US$650) for 10 of his gang members to attend a demonstration for an hour. The rate charged for roughing up a political opponent – damaging his car or house – is between MVR 25,000 and MVR 50,000 (US$1650-3250), but for a stabbing the price would be much higher: US$25,000 at least.

“It’s not bad, enough to pay our expenses for a month,” Ibrahim told the paper.

The newspaper noted that corruption meant that “police officers can easily be persuaded to ‘lose’ evidence and judges can be bought off. Nor is prison much of a deterrent. Phones, cigarettes, DVDs, ‘anything except women’ is easily available,” the gang leader informed the paper.

The Guardian’s article echoes the findings of a report into the Maldives’ gangs by the Asia Foundation, published last month, which revealed that politicians and businessmen are paying gangs tens of thousands of rufiya to assault rivals, damage property, and in some cases have them killed.

“Political and business elites exploit gangs to carry out a range of illegal activities that serve their political or business interests in exchange for financing the gangs,” stated the report, which collected data through 20 focus groups and 24 in-depth interviews with gang members.

Politicians are described as being involved in symbiotic relationships with gangs, who depend on the gangs to suppress opponents and carry out tasks to help maintain their popularity or to divert media attention from political issues.

“Politicians have asked us to cut the TVM cable for MVR 25,000 (US$1620), to light up a bus for MVR 10,000 (US$650). Also in the recent political riots we were involved in things like burning the garbage collection area,” said one gang member.

“We were given some amount of money, two of us and the 10 people who accompanied us were paid some amount, we had to set fire and run from the spot and be seen in another area. We got paid to do this by a political group. Sometimes in return for the work we do, we also get to party in their safari boats with girls and alcohol,” they added.

In other cases, gang members were paid MVR 20,000 (US$1230) to destroy shop windows. Interviewees also stated that being offered immunity from prosecution was normally part of this deal.

Leaders, who deal directly with the politicians, were reported as earning up to MVR 1 million (US$65,000) a month via such activities.

One member even described instances where murder contracts were handed out.

“We may be given a file with all the information about the person and be told and told we may be paid in millions to carry out the killing,” explained one member.

The gang leader who spoke to the Guardian said that he had made enough money and was now looking for a quieter life: “I’m not sure where I’ll go. Maybe [Sri] Lanka. Maybe India. Out of here anyway,” he told the paper.

“People around the world [need] to know how things are here. This is a paradise, but not everyone is an angel. Things have gone this far because of politics,” he said.

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MP Nasheed alleges criminal activities in legal profession

Kulhudhuffushi-dhekunu MP Mohamed Nasheed has criticised his fellow lawyers on his personal blog, alleging that they assist criminals in covering up crimes, work closely with gangs, and intimidate witnesses, reports local media.

A recent report by the Asia Foundation highlighted the strong links between politicians, businessmen and Male’s numerous gangs.

“Due to lawyers’ influence, people often refuse to provide statements, or wish to revise previous statements, or say that they do not wish to provide statements, or travel abroad to avoid the Court process,” he wrote.

Nasheed argued that recording conversations between lawyers and clients could alleviate some of these problems.

“I am not a criminal defence lawyer. However, when the sunset bill was made, I listened to senior members of relevant state institutions discuss ways to address the challenges faced due to crime in the society,” said Nasheed.

“One and a half years later, they are still discussing the same thing. This article was based on the information obtained from them,” he added.

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Politicians and businessmen funding gangs to attack opponents: Asia Foundation

Politicians and businessmen are paying gangs in the Maldives tens of thousands of rufiya to assault rivals, damage property, and in some cases have them killed, according to a report into the country’s gang culture by the Asia Foundation.

“Political and business elites exploit gangs to carry out a range of illegal activities that serve their political or business interests in exchange for financing the gangs,” stated the report, which collected data through 20 focus groups and 24 in-depth interviews with gang members.

“This has worrying implications for support for democracy among the young generation as they witness first hand corruption on the part of their political representatives,” the report states.

The research was conducted primarily in the capital Male’, which it describes as having 20-30 gangs, ranging in size from 50-400 members.

Gangs are described as including mainly males aged under-25 years. Of those involved in the focus groups, 63 percent were unemployed, and 54 percent admitted to being drug users – both prominent issues highlighted in the report.

Poisoned politics

The report cited anecdotal evidence suggesting that the root of gangs in the Maldives was linked to the introduction of heroin to the country in the early 90s.

“Gang members report that in the early 1990s, foreigners (purportedly Indians) gave away free packets of heroin (locally called brown sugar) that contained directions for use,” read the report.

“Subsequently drug users, through involvement in gangs, supported their drug habits by the sale of drugs and other criminal activities,” it continued.

The report also draws strong links between the introduction of political parties during the last decade’s democratic reforms, and the escalation of gang activity.

“Democracy is not working… people do not know what democracy is… even politicians do not know what it really is… there is too much freedom… people do not know how to use this freedom,” the researchers were told by one gang member.

Politicians are described as being involved in symbiotic relationships with gangs, who depend on the gangs to suppress opponents and carry out tasks to help maintain their popularity or to divert media attention from political issues.

“Politicians have asked us to cut the TVM cable for MVR 25,000 (US$1620), to light up a bus for MVR 10,000 (US$650). Also in the recent political riots we were involved in things like burning the garbage collection area,” said one gang member.

“We were given some amount of money, two of us and the 10 people who accompanied us were paid some amount, we had to set fire and run from the spot and be seen in another area. We got paid to do this by a political group. Sometimes in return for the work we do, we also get to party in their safari boats with girls and alcohol,” they added.

In other cases, gang members were paid MVR 20,000 (US$1230) to destroy shop windows.

Interviewees also stated that being offered immunity from prosecution was normally part of this deal.

Leaders, who deal directly with the politicians, were reported as earning up to MVR 1 million (US$65,000) a month via such activities.

One member even described instances where murder contracts were handed out.

“We may be given a file with all the information about the person and be told and told we may be paid in millions to carry out the killing,” explained one member.

Stabbings are commonplace and knives have become increasingly prevalent. Gun crime remains negligible, however one of the researchers was told by a gang member: “It is my fantasy to possess a gun, I had once saw a small pistol, I had it under my bike seat, it was planted but I returned it (I knew who it belonged to), that day when I saw the pistol I was so scared, but now I want a gun and I frequently fantasise of going on a killing spree, I have in my mind all those whom I will kill.”

Based on the interviews conducted, the report said that there was no evidence linking gangs to religious groups. Instead, gang members were contemptuous of the country’s religious leaders.

“We have lost respect for them (religious leaders)… their thinking is obsolete… some are even seen in videos indulging in activities prohibited in religion and the next day they are preaching… they do not act what they preach,” said one gang member.

Vicious cycle

A lack of jobs was cited as one of the major reasons for young people to join gangs.

The report highlighted problems with the legal process, which produces a criminal record – which cannot be cleared for five years –even for minor offences.

“Due to police record, we can’t get a government job,” said one interviewee. “When government does this, the private sector usually does the same.”

“Hence it’s hard to get a job if a person has a police record…so join a gang to earn money,” they said.

Whilst the minimum wage in the Maldives is MVR 2,600 (US$170), the report states that a gang member can receive up seven times this amount for illegal activities such as breaking a shop window.

Young people who opt to leave school at 16 are also described as particularly vulnerable to gang association as they are not seriously considered for employment until they turn 18.

The report did find some evidence that some gangs do attempt to find legitimate work for their members.

“We try and help the younger generation… Show them the right path… we are very proud of this… some members have respectable posts in government and some run their own business,” one gang member said.

This strong group ethic was mentioned in the report of one of the primary reason for gang membership, with the group providing a surrogate for social welfare and dysfunctional families.

Gangs were also described as providing a strong sense of identity for its members. This status is also closely linked to violence, which large gangs can then provide members with protection from.

In conclusion, the report recommended that changes be made to the way minor offences are recorded as criminal complaints.

It also argued that better re-integration programs for convicts, as well as more drug rehabilitation and vocational training programs, might help alleviate the country’s gang problem.

The report also said that greater empowerment for young people would help to generate alternative opportunities for work and that better family counselling might help potential gang members cope with death and divorce.

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