Tag: drug trade

First batch of Faaragema dogs arrive in Maldives

Five of the 16 sniffer dogs for the newly established “Faaragema” dog squad arrived in the Maldives last night.

According to the Maldives Police Services, a Dutch and a British dog trainer accompanied the first batch of dogs and will train police officers in handling the dogs.

The dogs were due to arrive the previous night, but their arrival was delayed after the handlers deemed the journey from the Netherlands was too long for the puppies. They were then quarantined in Malaysia.

Faaragema dog squad

Five more puppies will arrive tonight and the remaining six are to arrive tomorrow night.

The dogs were brought in to tackle drug trafficking in the Maldives, and are going to be kept in custom made kennels at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

Speaking to local media, Home Ministry’s spokersperson Thazmeel Abdul Samad said that the dogs and the kennel had cost the government US$ 80,000.

The Home Ministry has meanwhile requested the Dhivehi Language Academy to come up with 16 Dhivehi names for the puppies.

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Maldives police contemplate stationing officers in Sri Lanka, India

Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz has revealed plans are being discussed to station Maldivian officers in Sri Lanka and India from next year as part of efforts to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country.

In an interview with Haveeru, Commissioner Riyaz said that considering the suspected heavy involvement of foreigners smuggling drugs into the Maldives, officers from the country may need to be based at Maldivian embassies in several neighbouring countries to try and curb the illegal trade.

Riyaz also spoke of the need to introduce rehabilitation programs in the country’s prisons.

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