A man has been arrested in the early hours of Wednesday for being caught in the act of stealing bananas from a stall at the local market in capital Malé city.
Police informed media that the arrested man is a local, age 34, who has a previous record of drug abuse.
He was arrested by officers who were patrolling the streets of Malé. Police recovered a number of what are suspected to be stolen bananas from his possession.
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(0)Three men were arrested yesterday (June 29) in the capital Malé for smoking in public during fasting hours on the first day of Ramadan, police have revealed.
While a 23-year-old man was caught smoking near the Raanbaa restaurant around 10:20am, a second 23-year-old was caught smoking near the Redwave Plaza around 11:50am.
The third suspect, aged 34, was caught smoking inside the public toilets near the fish market around 5:45pm.
Police noted that all three men had criminal records for drug abuse, assault, and robbery.
In January, the Criminal Court fined a man MVR150 for drinking a Coca-cola in public during fasting hours in the month of Ramadan in 2011.
(0)Dislikes(0)The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has alleged intimidation, harassment, and “covert police action” against participants of a gathering in the capital Malé last Thursday (June 26).
The party explained in a press release yesterday that Thursday night’s rally was held “as the first of a planned series of gatherings dubbed ‘Barricade Meetings’, to protest the current regime’s mismanagement of state resources, rising costs of essential goods, deterioration of health services resulting in preventable loss of lives, and sustained influences on the judiciary to incriminate political rivals.”
The rally went ahead in spite of a warning by the Home Ministry against the planned gathering, which was the first time the main opposition party took to the streets since last year’s presidential election.
The MDP afterwards alleged that several police officers “infiltrated the rally and attempted to incite grassroots members” of the party.
“Leaders of the party urged participants to avoid confrontations and were exercising maximum restraint while reminding attendees that we were exercising our constitutional rights of assembly, of disseminating and acquiring awareness, and of freedom of expression,” the statement continued.
“Intimidation and harassment of participants of rallies and political gatherings have been the practice of [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom regime in the past. It is a matter of serious concern for the MDP that police are being directed to infiltrate and incite participants of political rallies by the administration of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
“Their orders include identification of the party’s youth leaders and top activists and the MDP believes that several young participants of the rally will be arrested on some trumped up unrelated charges in the next few days.”
President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali was unavailable for comment at the time of press.
Peaceful assembly
The MDP statement meanwhile added that threats and “targeted incrimination” against youth participating in political activities was a common practice under the Gayoom regime.
“The MDP appeals to well-wishers to prevail over the current administration to cease and desist from attempts to intimidate and incriminate participants of political gatherings,” the press release concluded.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) meanwhile are reported to have sent a letter to former President Mohamed Nasheed – acting president of the MDP – asking the party not to hold demonstrations at the Chandanee Magu-Fareedhee Magu junction.
Although Nasheed had declared that the party would continue its gatherings “every night,” the MDP did not organise a gathering last night.
Police stated in the letter – obtained by local media – that a number of complaints were made by members of the public regarding the MDP’s gathering on Thursday night.
While pedestrians, Ramadan shoppers, and drivers were inconvenienced, the letter stated that residents of the area also complained of infringement of their rights.
Some complainants alleged that participants of the gathering used foul language and violated societal norms, police said.
Moreover, the letter added, businesses and shops in the commercial district would also be adversely affected if the gatherings continued in the area.
The letter further referred to provisions in the Freedom of Assembly Act passed in December 2012, which authorises police to prevent gatherings.
Police also urged the opposition party to provide a 36-hour notice prior to holding public gatherings.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court on Tuesday extended pre-trial detention of two individuals caught with MVR900,000 (US$58,366) worth of illicit drugs to five days.
The Drug Enforcement Department (DED) caught the two individuals on arrival from the airport to Malé Monday. They are Maldivian nationals aged 48 and 31 years.
The police believe the drugs were trafficked via air.
According to the police, the 31-year-old was accused of stealing money and documents from fifth floor apartment on Malé’s Dhafeena Building in December 2011.
On Tuesday, the DED also searched both of their residences and found documents related to the drug haul.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Maldives Police Services has launched a new information management system today.
Speaking at a ceremony held to inaugurate the Police Information Management System (PIMS), Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed said the new system will facilitate investigations and introduces new services.
The system facilitates the handling and storing of information regarding investigations and evidence, and dramatically reduces paper costs at the office, he said.
The Police Management Board also held discussions on posting police officers on all inhabited islands on Tuesday.
According to a police statement, the board aims to increase or limit officers depending on the population and number of crimes. The size and amount of services available at police stations will also vary depending on these factors.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested two male suspects – aged 31 and 48 – with drugs worth over MVR900,000 (US$58,365) in street value.
According to police, the 31-year-old suspect had a criminal record for committing a robbery in 2011. The pair were arrested on Monday (June 23) based on intelligence information suggesting their involvement in drug trafficking.
The drugs were found in their possession when the suspects were searched near the Hulhumalé ferry terminal upon their arrival in Male’ from the airport. Further evidence was discovered after police searched their residence with a court warrant.
The drugs are believed to have been smuggled through the airport.
The Criminal Court yesterday extended the remand detention of the suspects to five days.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have announced that they are holding discussions on the matter of repatriating 14 Iranians on a fishing boat found in Maldivian seas.
The boat was discovered near the island of Thimarafushi in Thaa Atoll on June 6, after having been lost at sea for two months.
Police revealed that the boat and its crew are now in the island of Madifushi in Thaa Atoll.
(0)Dislikes(0)Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed has announced that the Maldives Police Service is working to deploy its officers to foreign countries.
“We have considered some neighbouring countries. Although we will not reveal the countries at this time, once we establish police liaison officers, you will be able to see the results,” Waheed is quoted as saying to Haveeru.
“You will hear that police have arrested some or other person who attempted to smuggle drugs into the Maldives from some country. This is the kind of happy news that I wish to hear. You will then know which countries we deploy our officers to,”
According to Waheed, one of the main objectives of the said operation is to tackle the problem of illegal drug smuggling into the country.
He stated that, while police are at present working with counterparts abroad, the actual deployment of Maldivian officers in other countries will prove to be more effective.
(0)Dislikes(0)More than MVR100,000 (US$6,485) in cash has been stolen from a safe in the Ooredoo office in Majeedhee Magu, the main thoroughfare of the capital Malé.
According to the police, the theft was reported at 8:25am this morning. No arrests have been made yet.
Earlier this month, police launched a special operation in response to a spike in cases of theft and robbery in the capital.
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