Police arrested 27 people on drug-related charges during the past week, including 25 men and two women.
According to the police website, police discovered 153 small packets, five emptied film roll cans and six bullet-sized packets on the suspects.
A number of homes in Male’ were checked under court orders during the past week.
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(0)The National Crime Prevention Committee formed to curb the rise in gang violence in the Maldives has said it has met with Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and other judges on the Supreme Court bench, who have said they will fully cooperate with the committee to control gang violence.
The Supreme Court said it will resolve the issue of cases left pending in the courts without trials being conducted, said the committee in a statement.
The Supreme Court also offered assurances that it would assist the committee in issues related to the judiciary, the President’s Office said it a statement.
‘’Discussions at the meeting held at the Supreme Court were mainly focused on the prosecution of crimes such as rape, fraud, theft, drug related violence and other serious criminal offences within the existing legal framework,’’ the President’s Office said. ‘’The Chief Justice and the Prosecutor General, who also attended the meeting, assured the Committee it was working swiftly to prosecute and deliver justice and to reduce crime rate and tolerance of criminal activity in society.’’
The Chief Justice said it was important for the committee to work closely with the police and requested public cooperation with the police in their effort to find and bring criminals to justice.
President Mohamed Nasheed formed the crime prevention committee to curb gang violence and gang related crimes in the Maldives two days ago.
The committee consists of National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal, Home Minister Hassan Afeef, Attorney General Abdulla Muiz, State Defence Minister Mohamed Muiz Adnan and Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz.
The President’s Office said that the committee had during their first meeting decided to establish a special task force to curb serious and organised crime.
The task force will be led by Maldives Police Service and will consist of officials from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS), Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Education, Courts of law, Prosecutor General’s Office, Maldives Customs Service, Ministry of Health and Family, Ministry of Human Resources Youth and Sports, Immigration Department and officials from the Local Government Authority.
(0)Dislikes(0)Cabinet yesterday decided to permit police to use non-lethal weapons to curb the gang violence in Maldives.
The President’s Office said the decision was made after discussing a paper submitted to the cabinet by the National Security Advisor ”raising concern over the continuous increase of gang violence, street mugging and other serious criminal activities that risk people’s lives and social stability.”
”Discussing the paper, members of the Cabinet noted that existing police fir power to stop gang violence was not appropriate for current situation compared to some of the more lethal weapons used by gangs,” said the President’s Office. ”They also noted that, in a democratic country, granting police the power and capability to discharge their legal duties to maintain internal stability and security, and protect the economy, was necessary for national security.”
An official from the President’s Office said that non-lethal weapons including electroshock taser guns and mace spray were permitted under the new regulation, while the use and effectiveness of weapons already in use such as pepper spray were discussed. The official said he was unsure whether the decision included the use of rubber munitions.
Tasers are widely used as a ranged non-lethal option by many law enforcement agencies around the world such as the US, but have been criticised for their misuse by some officers and potential to cause cardiac problems in some recipients of the shock. Mace is the brandname for a strong form of pepper spray, which causes a burning sensation on mucus membranes but is short-range.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that police had not yet been informed as to what types of non-lethal weapons were now allowed.
”After we know what types of non-lethal weapons are allowed we can say how effective it might be on our operations to curb gang violence,” Shiyam said.
Currently tear gas, pepper spray and batons are used by police in the Maldives, however police have been previously criticised for inaction when confronted with gangs wielding knives and swords. In a recent attempted robbery of Baros Island Resort police discovered a harpoon gun in a boat allegedly used transport the suspects to the island, however more conventional firearms are extremely rare in the country.
Recently a gang attacked another gang in the artificial beach area using sharp objects, shovels and iron bars, in the presence of many passing women and children who was enjoying the venue on the weekend. Local media reported that one woman fainted after witnessing the attack, while the gang also threatened a person in the area and robbed him of his motorbike at knife-point.
In another recent incident, a 21 year-old man identified as Ahusan Basheer was murdered in a gang attack despite reportedly informing police that he felt he was at risk of being attacked.
When journalists queried Deputy Head of Serious and Organised Crime Department Inspector Abdulla Nawaz in a recent press conference about Basheer’s security request, he said he had not received information regarding the matter.
In another incident two persons were stabbed near Maaziya football ground and one of the victims bled to death after a major artery was severed.
Blame has been passed between police and the Criminal Court for the lack of prosecutions – police claim the court is being lenient with offenders, while the court claims police are providing insufficient evidence to convict.
”The court does not refer to the nature of the crime but rather refers to the evidence brought to the court against the accused,” said the criminal court in a recent statement, noting that everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty by a court of law and that ”everyone accused of criminal offense is not a criminal.”
The first to be reported dead in a gang attack was on December 3, 2007, where a person named Ali Ishar, 21, died after he was beaten and stabbed in the Henveiru Ward of Male’.
On April 12, 2008, 15-year-old Shifau Ismail died from heart failure, after being severely beaten with metal bars and sticks in a gang-related attack which was believed to be a revenge attack.
Ahmed Shaneed, 15, died on the eve of the second round of presidential elections while another man attacked in April of the same year died in hospital that October.
On December 8, 2008, Samir Abdul Mueen, 23, died after he was stabbed multiple times by two or three men on motorcycles on Male’s Janavaree Magu.
Abdulla Faruhad, 18, of Seenu atoll Hulhudhoo Lilymaage was stabbed on Majeedhee Magu in March 2009 and died shortly afterwards.
Many such deaths and gang related crimes were recorded after 2007, suggesting an increase the number of crimes committed annually. Perception or fear of crime – in many countries often considered more socially damaging that the crime itself – has risen markedly.
Authorities have responded with periodic crackdowns that typically result in a large number of arrests but few prosecutions.
Last year police and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) arrested almost 60 people, including children, in a joint special operation launched on July 15 to curb gang violence after series of revenge attacks occurred between gangs in Male’ likewise the police special operation underway following the death of Ahusan Basheer.
Many of those who were arrested in the special operations claimed that the police and MNDF officers mistreated and abused them during their arrest and detention.
Many armed robberies and assaults were also reported last year.
In December 2009, prominent businessman Ahmed Ibrahim Didi, known as ‘Campus’ Didi, was stabbed and robbed of almost US$300,000 in cash by unknown assailants.
On December 30 the same year, the manager Mohamed Rashaad Adam and an employee of the Sunfront store on Majeedhee Magu were attacked on their way home.
On January 7, the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) launched a rehabilitation program for recently released inmates who were serving time for minor drug offences. There were 62 former inmates enrolled in this program, with more than 150 still awaiting clearance.
On January 10, a man was attacked and stabbed with a sharp object in the early hours of that morning. According to police, he man was attacked by a gang of six men. A boy under the age of 18 was arrested in connection to the case.
On January 17, police arrested 19 people in connection with the stabbing of Ahmed Ibrahim ‘Campus’ Didi.
On January 20, head of the police drug enforcement unit Mohamed Jinah claimed “it won’t be long” before police arrest the remaining four of the top six drug dealers identified by President Mohamed Nasheed.
“Two of the top six drug dealers have been arrested. We will arrest the remaining four as soon as possible,” he promised.
On January 23, a group of men allegedly gang raped a woman on Fuvahmulah after dragging her to a beach and restraining her husband.
On January 28, six men were injured in a fight between two groups in Gnaviyanni Faumulaku, and one of the injured men died while receiving treatment.
On February 7, a 15 year old boy and his 35 year old father were attacked and stabbed by gang members in Hulhumale’.
On February 8, a businessman was attacked and robbed of Rf435,000 (US$33850) and US$7100 on Janavary Magu near Sonee Hardware.
On March 1, President Mohamed Nasheed criticised the judiciary during a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally and said that the government would not back down and will continue to arrest drug dealers.
On March 2, a man driving a pick-up truck was stabbed near Vaadhee Fresh in Maameyo Magu.
On March 3, the country manager of Habib Bank was stabbed and robbed in his home by a gang of four masked men. During the incident he suffered injuries to his nose, forehead and right arm but was not seriously hurt.
On March 8, police arrested three men in connection with the armed robbery of Habib Bank’s country manager.
On March 15, four men forcibly entered DhiTV studios and attacked five senior officials at the station afternoon, shortly after the station aired a report on its 2 o’clock news claiming that Ibrahim Nafiz, ‘Chika’, had been released to house arrest. Three hours after the alleged gang attack on DhiTV, a Haveeru employee was stabbed in the back.
Abdul Razzag Adam, 39, who works at the printing department, was knifed outside the Haveeru office building while he was on his cycle.
On March 25, a well-known flower shop on Sosun Magu, Cactus, was robbed by a group of intruders who threatened staff with knives and box cutters.
A witness to the incident, who spoke with the staff, told Minivan News that three men entered the flower shop and threatened the staff with knives and cutters, and stole Rf35,000 (US$2700)
On March 26, a group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl while reportedly filming the incident with a mobile phone.
On March 30 the Maldives Police Service (MPS) claimed some politicians were using gangs to cause unrest, intimidate people and attack opponents.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that “police have learned some politicians have used gang members to create unrest.”
On April 19, police arrested 22 people including four children under the age of 18 in Laamu Gan, after they were attacked during a wave of gang violence.
Police alleged gang members broke the glass windows of a shop in the industrial area of Mathimaradhu, burnt down a hut in Mulurimagu [district] and broke the windows of two houses. When they tried to stop the gang members, police claim they they were attacked and a police vehicle was damaged.
On 3 May, two men on a motorbike stabbed a 16 year old child in front of two police officers on Ameenee Magu near Imadudeen School, before fleeing.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that the two police officers were investigating a motor vehicle accident when the incident occurred. The boy injured his lungs and arm during the stab.
On 26 May, a taxi driver threatened a 19 year-old girl with a knife inside his car. The girl was forced to give money to the driver while she was traveling to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
On 29 May two men stabbed a 14 year-old boy in eight places, injuring his lungs and liver.
(0)Dislikes(0)Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP and Youth Wing’s head Ahmed Mahlouf has presented an amendment to the parliament to designate persons under the age of 16 years as juveniles.
Currently persons under the age of 18 are legally considered as juveniles.
”The purpose to change the age is due to the significant increase in involvement of minors in crimes sinister in nature, and they cannot be sentenced to the full extent as they are considered as minors,” said Mahlouf. ”Although they are considered as minors, they are sometimes very dangerous.”
Mahlouf said he has noted that children of the age 16-18 are more likely to be engaged in criminal activities because many finished their ordinary level education at the age of 16, and most of them did not prefer further studies which was leading them to the wrong path.
”They do not prefer or get the opportunity for further studies but they cannot even be employed because they are considered as minors,” he said. ”In a religious perspective also it is more appropriate to set the age of 16 as adults.”
Of the roughly 10,000 students who sit their O’level exams each year in the Maldives 8000 fail, although the pass rate is slowly improving.
Mahlouf also presented an bill to regulate the resort security which requires each resort and hotel to have a security system approved by police.
”This was submitted considering the recent attempts to rob resorts in the Maldives which could eventually effect the entire economy of the country,” Mahlouf said. ”The bill also requires police to supervise the security of the resorts annually.”
Recently, a 20 year-old man was found dead floating on the lagoon of Baros Island Resort and Spa, allegedly one of the seven persons that went to rob the island.
Mahlouf also said a DRP Youth Wing’s rally will be held Friday night near the Tsunami Monument where senior members of the party will address people about gang violence.
(0)Dislikes(0)President Mohamed Nasheed has formed a special committee to curb gang violence and gang related crimes in the Maldives.
The committee consists of National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal, Home Minister Hassan Afeef, Attorney General Abdulla Muiz, State Defence Minister Mohamed Muiz Adnan and Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz.
The President’s Office said that the committee had their first meetings yesterday afternoon and had decided to establish a special task force to curb serious and organised crime.
The task force will be led by Maldives Police Service and will consist of officials from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS), Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Education, Courts of law, Prosecutor General’s Office, Maldives Customs Service, Ministry of Health and Family, Ministry of Human Resources Youth and Sports, Immigration Department and officials from the Local Government Authority.
The work of the special task force will be to secure the citizens of the country, isolate and arrest those who commit offences that disrupt the peace and harmony, to rehabilitate criminals and to offer opportunities for them to be back in society after they are reformed.
‘’This committee assures the citizens that we will constantly work to reinstate the peace in this country in national level,’’ the committee said in a statement via the president’s office. ‘’We will continuously try to gain attention and cooperation from the implementing agencies, businessman, NGOs, political parties and the public.’’
The committee said that in order to achieve its goal, all the institutions should corporate and work together.
This week the committee will meet the Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid, National Security Committee [241 committee] of the parliament, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and other judges at the Supreme Court.
Recently a ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Rasheed presented an amendment to the Clemency Act which requires upholding death sentences if upheld by the Supreme Court and later withdrew it for the Penal Code and Evidence Bill was not yet passed.
In 2008 Rasheed said 104 cases of assault were sent to Prosecutor General, increasing to 454 in 2009 and 423 cases in 2010.
More recently 21 year-old Ahusan Basheer was stabbed to death on Alikileygefaanu Magu.
On June 2008, the major gangs in Male’ gave a press conference at Dharubaaruge and declared ‘’peace’’ and vowed to work together.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police Inspector Abdulla Nawaz of the Serious and Organised Crime Department has claimed that Ibrahim Shahum, arrested in connection with the recent murder of 21 year-old Ahusan Basheer, was planning to attack officers with a machete when he was found hiding inside some bushes on an uninhabited island.
Police began searching for Shahum after Basheer was stabbed to death on Alikileygefaanu Magu in Male’, one of the capital’s main roads.
”It is believed that he was attempting to attack police officers with the machete,” Nawaz said, of Shahum’s arrest. ”He was arrested with three other persons including an under-aged boy, all of them are suspected to be involved in the murder case.”
He added that police believed Shahum was had led the attack on Basheer, and identified his suspected accomplices as Athif Rasheed and Mohamed Visham.
”There is a reason why they attacked Basheer, but we can’t divulge the information as it might obstruct the investigation,” he said. ”We are also trying to determine whether they had any connection with the owner of the uninhabited island.”
The murder case came not after a week Shahum was released by the Criminal Court citing lack of cooperation from the Health Ministry in providing certain documents.
Shahum was kept in detention six months following the investigation of another murder case involving a 17 year-old boy who bled to death after being stabbed.
On March 17, a group of men stabbed a 21 year-old man to death near NC Park in the Galolhu district of Male’.
Police said the incident occurred around 3:30am in the morning in Alikileyegfaanu Magu.
”He was stabbed four times in the back and three times in the chest,” police then said in a statement.
After the attack to curb the violence in Male’ police commenced special operations and arrested more than 50 persons who were arrested on charges of planning assaults, which most of them were arrested without any probable grounds to arrest or keep in detention according to the Criminal Court.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police Spokesperson Lance Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa has said that police have arrested two persons in Thinadhoo after it was reported that a group had recorded nude footage of a group of visiting athletics officials.
Moosa said that the visiting officials went to the island to attend ‘Makita Inter Atoll Junior Athletics Championship’ held on Thinadhoo.
”We can’t give more information as the investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Local newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported that the two nude videos were of two foreign officials.
The paper reported that sources familiar with the case has said that the videos were recorded inside the bathroom secretly and some of the videos have been leaked.
The incident has caused the other members of the officials team to be concerned that their videos might also have been recorded secretly.
All the officials stayed in one house and there were two toilets in that house which both males and females in the team used during their stay in Thinadhoo.
Recently police arrested 14 persons for recording nude videos and pictures of senior government officials through facebook.
Police have not yet provided further information of the case.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court’s Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed has said that none of 47 persons arrested by police and brought to the court for extension of detention following the gang murder of 21 year-old Ahusan Basheer were connected with the case.
”Nobody arrested was brought in connection to the murder case,” said the Chief Judge, after the string of arrests.
Police began a special operation in Male’ after the murder case, and reported that more than 50 persons were arrested.
”Police said those persons who were brought before the judges were persons were planning assaults,” Abdulla said. ”Some of them were released but most of them are still kept in detention.”
Police will need some time to investigate and collect evidence, he added.
Local media quoted the Chief Judge as saying ”while persons were arrested to that amount there were nobody presented with adequate evidence, in fact there were persons who cannot even be arrested [according to laws].”
Police Spokesperson Lance-Corporal Abdul Majeed Moosa told Minivan News that those arrested during the special operation was to curb the rise in gang related crimes in Male’.
”They were arrested on different charges, but now there are only a few kept in detention,” Majeed said. ”Police are currently investigating the murder case and it’s very difficult to say anything at this time.”
Ahusan Basheer was murdered on Thursday last week on one of the main roads of Male’.
After the murder, police claimed that Ibrahim Shahum was a suspect in the case and called on the public to report sightings of Shahum, who has disappeared after the murder incident.
Shahum was charged with murder but was recently released from detention after serving six months.
He was then arrested in connection with the death f a 17 year old boy who bled to death after he was stabbed while on his way to home after watching a football match.
Before the attack on Basheer, another gang attacked occurred in Henveiru, with a ganging stabbed three persons in front of crowds before fleeing, reportedly on a police officer’s private motorbike.
The incident took place on broad day light in front of many children, men and women.
Witnesses of the incident said that when the first group of police officers attended the scene, the two gangs were attacking each other, but said that the police officers waited util the gang finished their fight.
Only this week Maldivian Democratic Party MP Ibrahim Rasheed presented and withdrew an amendment to the Clemency Act to execute murderers if ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Presenting the amendment, he said it was the only way to curb the rise in gang violence and referred to the recent incidents. He said people had been “chopped and sliced like fish” in the streets of Male’ during broad day light, but withdrew his amendment moments before the vote stating that we would re-submit it after the evidence bill, criminal procedure bill and bill on penal code were all enacted.
Recently a person found guilty of murder and issued a death penalty according to the penal code of the Maldives has now appealed the ruling at the High Court.
The last time the Maldives executed a person was in 1953 when a person named Hakim Didi was executed by firing squad after he was found guilty of attempting to murder by performing black Magic.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court has claimed that police have been arresting and bringing already convicted criminals to the court and requesting extensions of detention, despite the fact that the individuals are supposed to be behind bars.
On March 18 the police brought a person to the Criminal Court who had previously been sentenced to 45 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of theft, objection to order and three drug related charges, said the Criminal Court.
A second person was also brought before the court who had been sentenced 10 times on different charges and was supposed to be serving 27 years imprisonment, the court said, after he was found guilty of five robbery cases, two cases of objection to order, two cases of driving without license and one case of possession and using of drugs.
”The court’s documents show that those two persons were handed over to the concerned authorities to implement the verdict,” the court said. ”They were brought before the judges on March 18 on charges of robbery and were caught that night while the police was conducting a special operation to curb the violence in Male’.”
The Criminal Court that night ordered police to handover the two criminals to the penitentiary department within two days.
”The court queried why a person sentenced to 45 years prison and another to 27 years, who are supposed to be in jail, were released into society. [Police] replied that it was the Home Ministry that released them,” the court added.
Head of Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) Ahmed Rasheed told Minivan News that there were many challenges the department had to face when handling the prisoners.
”There are people who escape, people who are released for house arrest, people who cannot be kept inside the cells because of their medical condition,” said Rasheed. ”A very infamous criminal named Mohamed Ibrahim Didi, also known as ‘Kiyawa’, escaped recently.”
Kiyawa, Rasheed said, was brought Male’ to report to the hospital as he had a severe knee injury.
”The doctors said his knee needed to undergo an operation and that he needed to be admitted for a month before operating,” Rasheed explained. ”One day, late in the afternoon, he fled from hospital. There are reasons why a person who cannot stand on two feet by himself escapes.”
Rasheed said in other incidents when prisoners escaped while they were being transferred from island prisons to Male’.
”Somehow their relatives, friends and lovers get to know that they are scheduled to come Male’ at this time for this purpose and will be at the jetty when prisoners arrives, they will all circle around and gather,” he said. ”Some of those times, the prisoners friends will come by, threaten the prison officers and flee.”
He said that currently there were more than 70 prisoners released on parole.
”There will be 15 prisoners in Thilafushi in the work corporation, and there will be fugitives as well,” he said.
Rasheed said a legal framework needed to be established to solve the issues.
”There has to be a lawful system where good prisoners can be granted clemency, such as a reward for a prisoner who learns by heart two books of the Quran or the whole of Quran. If such a law was established then prisoners cannot escape by having a friend in the President’s Office.”
He also noted that there were times DPRS officers were attacked during prisoners’ escapes.
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