Three suspects in 24kg drug bust released

Three suspects arrested in a 24kg drug bust in February have been released after the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the three Maldivian men, reports local media.

After taking 18 men into custody, police forwarded five cases for prosecution. However, the PG’s Office have decided to prosecute only two suspects – both Maldivians – identified as Abdulla Sofwath, from Henveiru Everpeace, and Ismail Moosa, from Galolhu Trustwood.

The Criminal Court has ordered that the pair be kept in remand detention pending the outcome of their trial.

Local media has meanwhile reported that the three locals released last week included a police officer arrested in connection with the drug bust as well as the captain of a dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat) that collected the heroin from an Iranian vessel.

Four Maldivians, three Bangladeshis, and 11 Pakistanis were taken into custody on March 10 with 24kg of heroin, which police said was “the largest amount of drugs seized in a police operation conducted in the Maldives so far.”

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