The Maldives Customs Service has said it last month foiled a “major” attempt to smuggle Rf1 million worth of heroin int0 the country after 100 packets of the drug were found to have been swallowed by a Pakistani national.
Customs representative Mohamed Ibrahim told Minivan News today that 100 packets of “high-grade” heroin, a combined total weight of 797 grammes, were found to have been swallowed by a 23 year-old male from Pakistan when he had arrived at Male’ International Airport on June 25. Police are now said to be investigating the case, which is said to remain at an early stage.
The seizure come as the government pledges to crackdown on the sale, packing and distribution of hard drugs in the country.
In committing to this crackdown, Mohamed Ibrahim said the challenge of detecting drug packages that have been swallowed by smugglers was nothing new for customs and did not require authorities to review their screening processes in the future. The customs spokesperson claimed it had made similar “significant seizures” in the past.
However, Ibrahim added that the financial value of drugs found during the seizure was particularly significant.
“[The seizure] was worth quite a lot. Heroin like this is very expensive when you compare it to cannabis leaf or hash oil,” he said.
Just last month, the government has vowed to crackdown further upon significant players within the country’s hard drugs trade. Police announced on June 24 that they had arrested an individual suspected of being one of the country’s most high-profile drug kingpins following months of investigation.
About 896 grammes of drugs were said to have been discovered inside the suspect’s apartment during its investigation. The apartment, which was rented in a building belonging to MP ‘Redwave’ Ahmed Saleem, contained a number of tools that could be used to pack drugs, while powdered narcotics were also found, according to police. Saleem was not himself linked to the drug operation.
Speaking following the police raid last month, President Mohamed Nasheed promised a more compassionate approach would be adopted for dealing with the country’s addict population. However, he additionally pledged to directly target any individuals profiting from the trade of substances like heroin, even if it led back to friends or family.
“We can seize the hard drugs that enter the country. We can find out how it enters, too. And as I envision it we can stop [the trafficking]. While undertaking these efforts, it is now becoming very much certain to me…for example, what happened the other day [the raid] was the sort of thing I find quite shocking,” he said. “800 packets of heroin a night were getting sealed in the house of an honourable member of parliament. 800 packets of heroin were being distributed in the ground floor of this house. True, there might be no connection between the MP and his house to the people doing [the drug dealing]. But what I know is, in my home, in my own home…the laws of the country definitely say this. That I should know what happens in my own home, under my own shelter.”
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Hohoho... Having them inside his body does not make it his. Or similar reasoning have been repeatedly told to the public, by the excellent judiciary here.
He will claim that he did have what he thought to be kidney-beans for dinner the night before. Voila! He is home free. Judges would not know the difference.
Adaalath party’s brethrens the Pakistanis are very active in Maldives.
Maybe Mullah Omar will send his representative here soon. That man from Fares Maathoda is the protocol person.
hohohoho......... i wish i found it... i wouldve smoked it all hahahahaha!!!
christmas came early
F**K the POLICE!!!!!!
The lack of interest in the seizure of drugs and any and all articles with interest displays what any fool may conclude now.
- The composition of the MDP has changed for good.
- The new composition consists mostly of 1.the nouveau riche made up of former activists and party loyalists who have turned into monied individuals almost overnight with the long-term leasing of uninhabited islands for them to plunder and exploit, 2. new acquisitions, who are often provided hefty sums and other gifts, brought to the party from oppositions parties who mostly consist of former loyalists to those who held the reins of government power, 3. disillusioned apathetic individuals who are just cannot be bothered to remove themselves from membership.
- The new composition could hardly care less about what the original members of the MDP envisioned for their party to achieve regardless of the natural inclination to enrich themselves. Simply put, the ideology of the party has changed for good and it mirrors the DRP in its heydays of government power.
Excellent! Get video evidence and destroy all the drugs!
I think this will end when we arrest the king pins like Shaheen Hameed, Abdulla Yaameen and Farish Maumoon. Unless these mafia leaders are arrested, we are not going to stop this in this country.
the composition my a*se MDP outsider tsk tsk and wtf compostion? to do wit drugs?
Dhobilei Ahmed Haleem is the drug lord now. He was rewarded an island. Police need to go and raid the island
It is was Merry Christmas gift for Adhaalath party members!! so sad now bearded fanatic cannot celebrate Christmas early!
Huuh!! Noo my heroin!!!
Dhobilei Ahmed Haleem was drug baron even before.
You dint know that he used to operate rusted unseaworthy ship between Tuticorin and Thilafushi.
attention police :
GIVE ME BACK MY DRUGS!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!
pakis are the worse in this region for drugs. be careful maldives. lets not leave room for them..
if you notice in sri lanka at the arrival terminal, passengers from flights from Pakistan are severely checked....