Tag: gaafu alifu atoll

Three arrested in connection with drug cases

Police have arrested three persons in connection with three different drug related cases.

In a statement issued today the police said a 36 year-old man was arrested from the island of Dhaandhoo Island in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

Police said the man had thrown away something on seeing police officers on patrol on the street, and when police officers examined the items they found it was a cellophane packed with illegal drugs.

Another 26 year-old man was also arrested from the island on May 6 with five cellophane packets containing illegal drugs.

The third person was arrested in Malé on May 5 with six rubber packets containing illegal drugs. The man had run away from the police when he was stopped on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs.

But police officers managed to arrest him and take him to Maafannu Police Station.

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High Court overturns order to release man arrested for child abuse in Kanduhulhudhoo island

The High Court has overturned a decision made by the Villingili Magistrate Court in Gaafu Alifu Atoll to release a 55 year-old man arrested on charges of molesting an 11 year-old girl.

The incident is said to have taken place in the island of Kanduhulhudhoo in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

“The man was arrested on February 21 at about 6pm and Villingili Magistrate Court first extended his detention period to three days, and when police took him to the court to further extend the detention period the court decided there was no reason to do so,’’ the police statement said.

Police revealed that this decision was later appealed at the High Court which has ordered that the suspect be held in pretrial detention for 15 days.

Police said Villingili Magistrate Court ordered the man’s release at 10:30am on February 25 but that police had tried to extend his detention period.

The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the case on March 4, telling the High Court there was a possibility the suspect might influence the evidence against him and that he may constitute a threat to society, police stated.

Local newspaper Haveeru quoted the victim’s sister as saying that the girl had been victimised for a long time, and that her family had found out only after she told them about it.

The paper also reported that the man under suspicion was the imam of the island.

Last month, police arrested seven men from the island of Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaalu atoll for allegedly forcing a 16-year-old girl into child prostitution.

Police said the seven men – aged between 18 to 30 years of age – were taken into custody with an arrest warrant, after which the Thinadhoo magistrate court extended their remand detention to 15 days.

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Four minors arrested with stolen items in Gemanafushi Island

Four minors have been arrested on the island of Gemanafushi in Gaafu Alifu Atoll with stolen items.

Police said that the stolen items were found inside one of the minor’s house.

According to police, they allegedly stole a sound system, CD player, one diving torch, as well as the batteries, charger and bulbs for the torch.

Police said the four minors were aged  between 15 and 16.

Gemanafushi police station is investigating the case.

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Police officer and family attacked in Gemanafushi

A group of two men have attacked a police officer and his two brothers on the island of Gemanafushi in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

According to police, last night at about 7:00pm two men attacked the police officer after he tried to stop the motorbike they were riding, allegedly because he was riding too fast and the islanders had complained about it.

Police said the two men assaulted the police officer and fled, and an hour later stabbed the officer’s younger brother in the head and another of his brothers in the stomach.

The victim stabbed in the head was 19 years-old and the other was 24 years-old, according to police.

Police said three persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

Gemanafushi Island Council President Asim Mohamed told Minivan News that the police officer tried to stop two persons that were speeding on a motorbike.

‘’They attacked the police officer when he stopped them and islanders gathered to the area and controlled the fight,’’ Asim said. ‘’Later the police officer’s brothers went to confront the persons that attacked the police officer, that’s when they were injured.’’

He said he did not know whether the attack on police officer was politically motivated.

‘’But they both are Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters,’’ he claimed.

Asim said the victim stabbed in the stomach was in a serious condition and that his appendix had to be removed.

There has been a growing animosity between security forces and MDP supporters, following the role of the police in the ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7. Tensions escalated last week after a raid on the MDP protest camp near the tsunami monument memorial, in which several MDP supporters were injured. One supporter was taken to hospital after he was discovered injured amid the rocks that make up Male’s eastern sea wall.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam claimed the attack on Gemanafushi occurred due to “continued support and encouragement from political figures to attack police.”

Police are investigating the incident.

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