Police have seized over 600 coconuts which were kept on the streets near the local market in Malé City on Sunday and taken them to the tow yard.
Police stated that they seized the coconuts after they had been kept on the street for “a long period of time in a manner against regulations”.
They stated that police patrolling the market area will only seize goods after they have been kept for hours in a manner that obstructs traffic in public places.
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(0)Nine people have been hospitalised after a ferry ran onto the reef in Haa Dhaal atoll Kumundhoo Island on Saturday.
According to the Maldives Police Services, the ferry had been traveling from Haa Dhaal atoll Kulhudhuffushi Island and was attempting to enter Kumundhoo’s harbor when it collided with the island’s reef.
Women and children were aboard the ferry and several had to receive medical care for injuries while nine individuals had to be taken to Kulhudhuffushi’s Regional Hospital for treatment.
The Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF), the police and islanders are now attempting to sink the boat.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department has warned of strong winds, rough seas and tidal surges with the southwest monsoon in full swing. The government has urged boats to take extra caution.
(1)Dislikes(0)The Maldives Police Services have confiscated 190 bags of goods from the local market area in Malé.
According to the police, the goods were being kept for long periods in public spaces and were a nuisance to traffic and pedestrians.
The 190 bags include 70 bags of watermelon.
The police have warned it will continue to confiscate such goods and has urged the public to follow the rules in handling goods.
(0)Dislikes(0)A Turkish national was arrested at the airport last week after parts of a gun were found in his luggage, reports newspaper Haveeru.
According to the local daily, the man was a crew member of a Turkish oil tanker and was among nine crew members attempting to leave via Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).
While the Criminal Court has since extended the suspect’s remand detention to ten days, the rest of the crew were reportedly allowed to leave.
Following the arrest, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) reportedly searched the oil tanker although the MNDF spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court has extended pre-trial detention of four suspects arrested in connection with the smuggling of 24kg of heroin in March to 15 days on Friday (July 4).
According to police, the suspects include three Maldivian men and a Bangladeshi man while the remand detention of a fourth Maldivian was extended to seven days on July 1.
Last week, the Criminal Court denied ordering the deportation of two Pakistanis arrested in connection with the case after police claimed the court had ordered their transfer to the care of the Immigration Department.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court has denied ordering the deportation of two Pakistani nationals arrested in connection with the smuggling of 24kg of heroin in March.
Citing police, local media reported this week that the court had ordered the deportation of the pair.
The Criminal Court however refuted the claims in a press statement released yesterday (July 2), noting that ordering the deportation of foreign nationals was outside the court’s jurisdiction.
Media reports to the contrary were “based on false information,” the court said.
The statement explained that a court order extending the remand detention of the Pakistani suspects to 15 days had instructed the police to transfer the pair to the the custody of the Department of Immigration.
Police had stated at the remand hearing that the Prosecutor General’s Office had decided to deport the suspects, the statement noted.
The media reports referred to by the Criminal Court were based on a news item published on the police website on Tuesday (July 1).
Out of 18 suspects arrested in the case, police explained that 15 were held in pre-trial detention, including three Bangladeshis, four Maldivians, and eight Pakistanis.
Six of the Pakistani nationals had since been released while the Criminal Court ordered the release of two Bangladeshis on June 24.
On the same day, one of the Maldivian suspects was transferred to house arrest due to poor health. The suspect had earlier suffered burns to 45 percent of his body in a fire accident, police noted.
“The detention period of a Maldivian involved in the case was extended to seven days today [Tuesday]. Additionally, the detention period of three Maldivians and a Bangladeshi will be up on July 4,” the police news item read.
“The court has asked for the two Pakistanis involved in the case to be deported.”
Minivan News was awaiting a response from the police media official at the time of press. The official told newspaper Haveeru yesterday that police were looking into the matter.
Record haul
Four Maldivians, three Bangladeshis, and 11 Pakistanis were taken into custody on March 10 with 24kg of heroin, which police said was “the largest amount of drugs seized in a police operation conducted in the Maldives so far.”
The drugs were transported in a vessel named ‘Hormooz’ registered in Iran, Superintendent Mohamed Rasheed, head of the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), revealed at a press briefing on March 12.
The 11 Pakistani nationals were the crew and captain of the Iranian boat. Local media reported in April that the Iranian vessel was allowed to leave the country while six crew members were also released.
The drugs were allegedly collected by the four Maldivians and three Bangladeshis 30 nautical miles off the coast of Alif Alif Mathiveri, Rasheed had explained, after which it was concealed under fibre boards in a dinghy.
Two of the suspects were seized by police after arriving on the dinghy in Hulhumale’ while their dhoni waited in the harbour.
The Iranian vessel was meanwhile captured at sea with coastguard assistance between Alif Alif and Baa atolls, Rasheed said.
Asked by reporters whether a police sergeant and a Maldivian man – Abdulla Shaffath – arrested in connection with the Artur brothers’ case last year were among the 18 suspects, Rasheed had said he could not disclose details as it could hamper the investigation.
Rasheed, however, confirmed that a police officer had been arrested in connection with the drug haul while two of the Maldivian suspects had prior records for drug-related offences.
While the street value of the drugs was estimated to be MVR36 million (US$2.2 million), Superintendent Rasheed noted that the drugs would likely be laced with “other powders” to increase its volume “two or threefold” before being sold.
The additional volume could potentially raise its street value to almost MVR100 million (US$6.5 million), he said.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested two individuals from the island of Hoarafushi for engaging in the widespread sale of illicit drugs.
According to the police, the two persons arrested on Wednesday night are local men both aged 19.
While the Hoarafushi Magistrate Court has extended their detention by ten days, police have stated that they are unable to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.
(0)Dislikes(0)Preliminary debate began at today’s sitting of parliament on an amendment seeking authority for the police and other investigative bodies to withhold passports for 24 hours without a court order.
The change to the Immigration Act was proposed by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ibrahim Riza.
Presenting the legislation (Dhivehi) on behalf of the government, the MP for Kaafu Guraidhoo said its purpose was to bring the immigration law of 2007 in line with the revised constitution adopted in August 2008.
However, in the ensuing debate, opposition MPs contended that the amendment was unconstitutional as it would curtail fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.
Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ali Hussain said he feared the amendment would allow the government to withhold passports of MPs “without any reason for political purposes”.
The MP for Baa Kendhoo noted that police and other authorities would be authorised to hold passports without the knowledge of the passport holder.
Moreover, he added, passport holders would not be able to either contest or appeal the decision or advocate in their defence.
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa argued that granting authority to the police to hold passports was “contrary to the spirit of the constitution”.
He noted that the police presently have powers to arrest and detain suspects for 24 hours, adding that there had been no instance in the past seven years of a suspect absconding or flying overseas without the knowledge of the authorities.
Defending the amendment, PPM MP Ibrahim Didi, however, insisted that investigative bodies should have the authority to hold passports of suspects involved in serious crimes.
“24 hours is not a very long time. Even now, police arrest people for 24 hours. So I don’t believe a person could face too much harm if his passport is held for 24 hours,” the MP for Addu Feydhoo said.
MDP MP Mariya Ahmed Didi meanwhile referred to article 41(a) of the constitution, which states, “Every citizen has the freedom to enter, remain in and leave the Maldives, and to travel within the Maldives.”
The constitution did not envision that the right of freedom of movement could be restricted, she contended, adding that it was essential for the accused to be present during legal proceedings on withholding passports.
As suspects in police custody could not fly overseas, Mariya said she did not see the need for police to withhold their passports without a court warrant.
The most notable instance of court hearings being cancelled due to the defendant being abroad involved Home Minister Umar Naseer’s disobedience to order charges. Despite an arrest warrant being issued in his absence, the minister was not taken into custody on his return to the country.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Maldives Police Services have announced the promotion of five persons working in the police reserve force – or Special Constabulary – to full police officers.
Following the change, the police are seeking new recruits for the constabulary.
Police revealed that the five persons were officers from the reserve force who were working as security guards at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.
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