Police have said an officer was briefly kidnapped on Friday (August 31) during a special operation to crack down on a safari b0oat operator suspected of illegally supplying alcohol from a vessel moored in Hulhumale’ lagoon.
The special operation was conducted by the police Drug Enforcement Department (DED) following intelligence reports received by authorities that four men were allegedly unloading alcohol from a safari boat kept in the waters of Hulhumale’ to supply alcohol illegally on land. Over 100 bottles of alcohol and forty cans of beer were later discovered during the operation, police have claimed.
Speaking to media at the Iskandar Building, DED Head Chief Inspector Ahmed Azhan said that two men from the safari boat came to Hulhumale’ jetty in a small dingy before being confronted by a police officer. After the officer stepped onto the dingy to confront the men, the boat reportedly moved away from the jetty with the member of the police on-board.
Azhan told local press that a number of other police officers pursued the suspects in their own dingy that had been kept nearby. Police eventually recovered the officer.
According to Azhan, officers then searched the dingy and found three bottles of alcohol inside a bag.
Police officers then went onboard the safari vessel to conduct a search that found alcohol bottles stored at different parts of the safari boat without any apparent arrangement or order.
Police said 106 bottles of alcohol and 40 cans of beer were found on the vessel once the search had been completed.
Azhan said the safari boat had the license to have alcohol on-board and noted that there were required procedures to follow for supplying such goods – procedures which the vessel’s operators had failed to maintain.
He also said that one of the four men arrested was a Maldivian male 42 years of age. The other three individuals were all expats aged 27, 32 and 42.
Police have not so far disclosed the nationality of the expatriate workers on the boat, but said all four men were employed as staff on the safari vessel.
Good Job crime fighters, lol !!
The MDP scums were the ones who first brought alcohol into Maldives. Shame on them.
What was the name of the safari vessel?
Today police are fighting, that is a good sign. They should fight, they should make sure that the people are scared of their sight. They should prepare for the elections in 2013 and should be able control the polling booths. People should to vote for the party that is supported by the Police.If not face the consequences. Next election would be Police vs the People. MNDF of course is out of the equation as they have to obey the police. let us see the results.
Was it the really the MDP scums who first brought alcohol to the Maldives? I thought that it was Gayoom! He has always liked alcohol anyway.
Yasir, what a retarded thing to say, alcohol was supplied in the maldives long before political parties came into existence. chill and have a drink
Selling & carrying of alcohol has same relegious ruling as on boozing says our beloved his highness Uz. Golhaboa and lands himself in Makunudhoo.
I think I know Yasir who has written abouve. I know for a fact that he drinks vodka.
i thought they kidnapped the police & not yet found.what if the boat is unloading the liquor to put it in their storage.