Tag: crime

One killed, one injured in Male’ stabbing incident

Two young men of 18 and 21 years of age were stabbed last night in an incident that took place near ‘Coffee Corner’ cafe’ in Male’ around 11:37pm, police have reported.

The 21 year old – identified as Hussein Waheed – passed away while being treated for injuries at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Malé. The other victim of the attack, Shaz Shareef is being treated for injuries at the hospital. Both victims were from the neighborhood in which they were stabbed.

Speaking to Minivan News, a police media official said the force had immediately begun a special operation to find the perpetrators, and said a 26 year old had already been taken into police custody.

While the police declined to give further details about the suspect, in a video message, the head of the MPS Serious and Organized Crime Unit has appealed for public assistance in the investigation.

He requested members of the public to report any information regarding this incident to the Unit’s hotline  9911099 or police numbers 119  and 3322111.

The victim Hussein Waheed was taken into Police custody in April 2011 in a police special operation to reduce crime in the capital, in connection to a stockpile of weapons and drugs found in a Male’ house.

This is the third stabbing reported this month, a 24 year old man was attacked with a sharp object on 22 December in Male’, and on 4 December a 55 year old man was was attacked in Ha. Hoarafushi.

Two people were killed in L. Gan in two separate incidents earlier this year. Ismail Nizar, 31 was killed on 14 July whilst riding on the street, and Mohamed Hassan 54 was attacked in his sleep.

Last year ten people were killed in the Maldives in mostly gang related incidents.

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Police arrest woman involved in seized drug network

Police have arrested a 28 year old woman for her alleged involvement in the local drug network that was seized on 16 December.

According to the police, the woman was arrested Sunday night (December 22) while she was inside Finifenjambuge in Maafannu ward in Male’, under an arrest warrant.

Local newspapers have reported that the woman was the wife of one of the main suspects arrested in connection with the case.

On 16 December, police conducted joint special operation with the police Intelligence Department and Drug Enforcement Department (DED) to seize a local drug network and raided Finifenjamuge where police officers discovered 243 grams of illegal drugs and large amounts of cash including foreign currency.

A 30 year-old man was arrested along with two other men who allegedly obstructed police duty during the raid.

According to local media, police officers discovered MVR142,000, 630 Indian Rupee, 2020 Srilankan Rupees, seven Malaysia Ringgits, 60 Thai Bahts and US$ 4 inside Finifenjambuge.

On December 5, police said they seized another drug network operating in the Maldives.

During the police operation conducted to smash the network police searched the premises of Henveiru Fahaageaage after obtaining a search warrant, finding drugs and money inside the house.

Police said that persons believed to be involved in the network were apprehended inside the house during the operation.

According to police, a total four persons were arrested in connection with the case including a Pakistani and a Sri Lankan national.

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Ismail Zihan surrenders himself to police

Police have said that Ismail Zihan, 21, of Medo in Galolhu – one of two persons searched for by the police for their alleged involvement in a local network that was seized earlier this month – has surrendered himself to the police yesterday (18 December).

In a statement issued today, the police said that he turned himself in yesterday afternoon at about 4pm.

The police said that Faisal Ibrahim, 23 of Anooma in Mahchangolhi – the second person police are looking for – has not been found and that search is still ongoing.

On December 5, police searched the premises of Henveiru Fahaageaage after obtaining a search warrant, finding drugs and money inside the house.

Police said that persons believed to be involved in the network were apprehended inside the house during the operation.

According to police, a total four persons have been arrested in connection with the case including a Pakistani and a Sri Lankan national.

Police appealed the public to share any information they have regarding the whereabouts of Faisal Ibrahim, and asked people to contact the police hotline 3322111 or police emergency 119 or police Drug Enforcement Department at 9792498.

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53 year-old man stabbed in Hoarafushi

A group of men last night stabbed a 53 year-old man on the island of Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Police said that the incident occurred last night at about 3:30am, while the old man was on his way to go fishing.

According to the police he was stabbed twice in his back and is currently being treated at Dhidhoo Hospital in Haa Alifu Atoll.

The police said that the assailants were covering their faces using masks and they fled after the attack. However, police have brought in three suspects.

The three men aged 21, 22 and 27 were arrested at about 4:15am this morning, according to police.

Police said Hoarafushi Police Station is investigating the case.

Local media identified the old man as Abdul Baary of Finihiyaage in Hoarafushi, Haa Alifu Atoll.

In September 2010, Hussein Mohamed Manik, 61, a prominent businessman and seller of oil and hardware products was found dead inside an abandoned house on Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Local media at the time reported that Manik’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and that the body was lying on the ground in a prone position when discovered.

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Court grants opportunity to appoint lawyers in murder of 16-year old

The Criminal Court has given the four persons charged with the murder of 16 year-old Mohamed Arham the opportunity to appoint defence lawyers after the judge decided that their current legal representative was not cooperating with the court.

According to local media present at today’s hearing the judge told the court has been facing difficulties when conducting the trial of the case because of their defence lawyer.

Arham’s body was found in May 2012 with stab wounds in his neck, back and chest with blood all over his body, the surrounding ground, and on the walls of the park.

Deputy Head of Police Serious and Organised Crime, Dhaudh Mohamed, said shortly after the attack that Arham had been killed in a revenge attack after an argument between two gangs.

Dhaudh said that the police investigation had  found out that Arham had a close relationship with the gang, who were based in the park in which he was found dead. The victim had no previous criminal record, although he used to visit the park frequently.

The four suspects charged in the case were previously identified by the court and police as Mohamed Sufyan of Gahdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Mohamed Visaam of Maavah in Laamu Atoll, Mansoor Yousuf of the same island, and Athif Rasheed of Mahchangolhi Scenery View.

During today’s hearing the judge asked each of them individually if they wanted to appoint a lawyer. Defendant Athif said that he would like the state to appoint him a lawyer if his family was unable to do so.

Sufyan also said that he had been trying to appoint a lawyer but had been facing difficulties due the charge being one of murder

Visam told the court that his family had not responded to his phone calls and he would like the state to appoint a lawyer for him.

Mansoor said that his family has asked him to appoint a lawyer and he would also like to request the state to appoint a lawyer for him.

The local media reported that the judge had announced the next hearing of the case was scheduled for October 31,and that those who requested the state to appoint lawyers for them would be granted the opportunity on that day.

On March 30, patrolling police officers discovered Arham, of Noree house in Haa Alif Atoll Hoarafushil, inside the park behind Kulliyathul Dhirasathul Islamiyya (Islamic College).

The victim’s friends insisted that the assailants attacked him while he was sleeping inside the park that night.

On November 1, Sun Online reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office lawyers had told the judge that on May 30 between 1:00am and 6:00am Athif, Visam and Mansoor had gone to the park on motorbikes with some other people.

The lawyer told the judge that Visam, Sufyan and Mansoor had entered the park and assaulted Arham before leaving with Athif and some other people.

Arham was studying in grade nine at Dharumavantha School when he was killed.

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Comment: Capital punishment inhumane, cruel and fails to prevent crime

The following is a joint declaration by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, on the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, 10 October 2013.

Today, on the occasion of the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the Council of Europe and the European Union reiterate their strong opposition to the use of capital punishment. They continue to underline, whenever and wherever possible, the inhumane and cruel nature of this unnecessary punishment and its failure to prevent crime.

Although we are encouraged by the growing momentum towards abolition of the death penalty worldwide, the resumption of executions and breaches of decades of moratoria in different parts of the world clearly mark the necessity to pursue our long-standing action against the death penalty, in Europe and worldwide.

Voices in favour of the death penalty within some parts of society, including in our continent, show that there is a continuous need to spell out why the death penalty runs contrary to the right to life and to human dignity.

Based on the fact that no execution has taken place on their territory for the past fifteen years, the European Union and the Council of Europe share the common overarching objective to consolidate the abolition within and beyond its borders. Protocols Nos 6 and 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as Article 2 (2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as today binding on the European Union, call for the death penalty to be abolished. In this context, we urge all European States which have not yet abolished the death penalty de jure in all circumstances, to do so by ratifying the relevant protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of Europe and the European Union regret the continuous use of death penalty in Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying it. We urge the authorities of Belarus to examine and explore all possibilities available in order to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition.

We welcome the extraordinary efforts of the cross-regional alliance that successfully led and guided the adoption, with an unprecedented number of votes, in December 2012, of the UN General Assembly Resolution on a Moratorium on the use of death penalty.

We would like to stress the symbolic and substantial importance of the 5th World Congress held in Madrid on 12-15 June 2013 and warmly congratulate the organisers, the four European countries which acted as main sponsors and the other European countries which contributed to the event. The extensive and diverse participation to this Congress clearly shows the worldwide tendency against the death penalty. The Council of Europe and the European Union will continue to work closely with all interlocutors, governmental and civil society, with a view to developing synergies towards universal abolition.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Three arrested for knife attack

Last night police arrested three persons in connection with a case where a man was attacked using a sharp object.

Police Spokesperson today told Minivan News that the incident occurred last night at about 12:25pm near Male’ Hiya Flat area in Galolhu.

He confirmed that the three were arrested and referred Minivan News to the hospital to clarify information on the injuries received to the victim.

According to sources the victim was stabbed in the chest.

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Two expats stabbed in Male’

Police have said that two expats were stabbed in Male’ last night in two different incidents.

The first incident occurred at about 7:50pm near Galolhu Madharusa – a 16 year-old minor was arrested in connection with the case.

Police said that a passing by police officer stopped the 16 year-old and arrested him while he was fleeing the area after attacking the expat.

The nationality of the victim was not revealed in the case.

The second incident occurred at about 10:15pm near the Ekuveni track area. Police said a 36 year-old Bangladeshi man was victimized in the attack. No arrests were made in connection with this incident.

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22 year-old man to be charged for sexually abusing 17 year-old girl

Police have sent the name of a 22 year-old man to the prosecutor general (PG) to press charges for alleged fornication with a 17 year-old girl multiple times on the island of Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

The man was identified by the police as Ahmed Hassan, 22, of Kulhudhufushi.

Police said the man was arrested on August 1 this year and was summoned to the magistrate court in Nolhivaram island. The court had granted an extension of detention for 10 days from August 26.

According to police the man had previous records of assault, threatening police officers near Kulhudhufushi police station, attacking police officers using iron bars and stones, destroying public property, obstructing police duty,and attempting to capture Kulhudhufushi police station.

Police said that the man had two other pending cases at the Prosecutor General’s Office where he is to be charged for objection to order and driving a vehicle without having a driving license.

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