Home Minister Umar Naseer has vowed to limit the sale and use of alcohol to Maldivians by placing a GPS tracker on alcohol containers, or a mark on every can of beer.
While Maldivian law allows foreigners to buy and consume alcohol at licensed locations, citizens are subject to 40 lashes in public and a jail term for alcohol consumption.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Customs Building on the occasion of World Customs Day, Naseer said alcohol released from bonded warehouses have been found in the capital Malé and in the islands.
He suggested safari boats were involved in the sale of illegal alcohol, and vowed to monitor the entry and exit of alcohol from bonded warehouses.
“One method is to place a GPS tracker on alcohol cases and check where they end up. I think this is something we can do with modern technology. God willing, we will do this, or place a mark every bottle of alcohol or every can of beer. We will place this mark before we release them from the bonded warehouses,” he said.
If alcohol containers are found on inhabited islands, the authorities will use the GPS tracker or the mark to track down the party to which the particular containers were released to and hold them accountable, he said.
Naseer also said that Maldives ports are not secure and that the government must invest in fences, x-ray machines, body scanners and improved customs facilities in order to seal the ports.
Expressing concern over the sale and consumption of illegal narcotics, Naseer said these substances must be stopped at the port of entry.
“Every 100 grams of narcotics that enters the Maldives destroys one child in our society. That child then has to go to jail or rehabilitation [centers]. To sell every 100 grams, 10 people have to package it and sell it on the streets. Every 100 grams, on average leads to three robberies. Every 100 grams creates five criminals. Maldivians participate in prostitution in order to buy it. Beg to buy it,” he said.
The Maldives Customs Services faces challenges in carrying out its duties due to the Maldives’ large sea area, the increase in new ports, and limited resources, he added, promising to increase coordination and cooperation between the customs, police, MNDF and immigration in order to monitor the entry of contraband.
In an interview with Minivan News earlier this month, Naseer said his first priority as Home Minister is “the fight against drugs” by controlling the gates through which drugs enter the country.
Last week, Naseer also ordered the Maldives Correctional Services to make preparations to implement the death penalty through lethal injections despite the lack of legislation administering the death penalty.
Amnesty International has called the move a “retrograde step and a serious setback to human rights in the country.”
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If he drinks every single one, he would be in a state to track them.
Great water ever so more funds on absurd goals. tsk tsk
Mr.Umarey
your home minister doesn't look like a radical extremist
Typical populist rhetoric. Why does the Minister not seriously tackle the drug trafficking and drug dealings in Male. A few beers are nothing in comparison to the devastating effects of the drugs consumed by the Maldivian youth. I am sure that the honorable Minister has a pretty good idea, probably even reliable intelligence who the drug pushers are.
Wonder why you don't try the GPS or a tracker on the drug hauls first?Or are you afraid of what that might uncover? Lethal injection without prior debate or legislation? What age are we living in? Talk about distraction from the real problems. Tut tut
You are the first one who is actually doing something about the drugs.
Thank you.
Root out the dealers!
he might have watch too much of tv shows. FYI, the country is broke, no money even clean the waste from the street. How the hell is this guy gonna buy all these tracker and developed a data center to handle all these tracking data.
if we look at this article. we have been unable to monitor all fishing vessels to this data.
http://minivannewsarchive.com/news-in-brief/geoeye-wins-contract-to-install-vessel-monitoring-system-in-the-maldives-15029
He has some loathing for beer it seems. Heroine, cannabis, child abuse, sexual abuse, elder abuse, theft, arson, threatening and blackmail (tip from home minister: its always good to be sitting in a command center when threatening the head of the country and his family. And only ever mention it on national tv and in interviews to international journalists), all rank pretty low on this booger brain's list.
Interesting how he says "controlling" the gates through which the drugs enter, he like the others don't really want to stop the drugs business. But yea I see your incentive Home Minister; if YOU aren't profiting from it no one else should be. Why let Adheeb and the Maumoon bunch benefit from everything.
Problem is people who can't afford starts consuming alcohol, side effects include been happy & loose fear. Dangerous stuff!!!
Do you think the beer sellers might remove the can from the packaging - they are sneaky like that. Maybe a tracker inside the beer can will be more promising.
tracking beer?
is that what our society needs? people to track beer? how much will this cost? and who is paying for it?
how about you track pedophiles? rapists and murderers? you people put them out on the streets so that they can do it again.
f**king nutjob!
How about placing a GPS tracking device on every fornicating c**k and vagina?
@Stunned Tuna: Say goodbye to tourism, once the Chinese get pissed off and make a 'visitation' with some battleships.
Unreal - what is he thinking!!! time to actually help the state of the country than stupid policies, and where is the money going to come from to fund this crazy scheme.