Wave Of Gang Violence

Police have confirmed that seven people have been injured and three arrested following two nights of gang violence in Male’. They say investigation is ongoing after scores of shops and offices were damaged in attacks, with windows broken and equipment damaged.

The disturbances are the result of ongoing clashes between various gangs, and it appears this latest rash of violence has been sparked by the beating of a thirteen-year-old boy, who was hospitalised last week.

That caused retribution which saw violence escalate through the night. It has now reached a level which the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) says is unprecedented, and “totally shocking.”

Police Spokesman, Corporal Shiyam, said he could not comment on whether or not weapons were used, but eyewitnesses say thugs were carrying knives and even swords.

“Police tried to stop the violence,” said Shiyam, who insists they did all in their powers to stop the clashes.

But not everyone agrees.

“Police did not take any measures to stop it,” says Abbas Adil, eyewitness and a friend of one of the injured men. “Being angry won’t solve any problem, right, because the police do not have control over some of the gangs,” he says.

According to Hamid Gafoor, Secretary General of the MDP: “this sort of thing, on this scale, is unprecedented in Male.’” He says he was amazed to see “teenagers running around with swords”.

“I just see the mob violence and the lack of policing and that makes me believe that there is a connection,” he said.

It is thought the gangs are manipulated by political factions and paid to act as agents provocateurs, but are mainly drug gangs.

“I would not relate it to the real politics…I would relate it to attempts by certain people to scare people,” he said.

In January this year, MDP member Shiruhaan was stabbed in the chest by thugs. There was some suggestion they had been in the pay of politicians.

There continues to be a serious drug problem in Male’ with many people addicted to “brown sugar”, or heroin, which has been a source of various social problems for some time.

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