Tag: police

Police disclose details of raid on local drug network seizing nine kilograms of drugs

Police have discovered more than MVR 1 million during an operation to thwart a local drug network.

Police today held a press conference and disclosed details of a special operation conducted to disrupt the operation.

Drug Enforcement Department (DED) Deputy Head Sub-Inspector Fareed Ismail said that police and customs officials had followed the crew of ‘MSV Silver Cloud 49’ since it arrived to the Maldives.

The drugs were unloaded from the boat yesterday morning to deliver to six Maldivians waiting for them at Boduthakurufaanu Magu, police said. Police said the drugs included hashish oil and heroin.

Fareed told the press that five Maldivians and six expats were arrested in the raid.

According to police, one of the suspects was arrested on allegations that he was the ringleader responsible for trafficking illegal drugs into the Maldives.

Police said the man was arrested while he was inside a room ot Kunnumalaage in Maafannu ward.

When police officers searched Kunnumalaage they discovered more than MVR 1 million, US$11,318, EUR 39,725 and currencies of 11 other nations, police said.

Police searched other houses in connection with the case including Coconut House in Mahchangolhi Ward and Moonlight View in Galolhu Ward.

According to police, officers discovered a further MVR 134,050, US$2200 and tools used to pack drugs in Coconut House.

The police have also released the video footage of the operation.

Yesterday Deputy Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed tweeted that the street value of the drugs discovered during the operation would reach over MVR 10 million (US$648,000).

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

HRCM calls for end to discrimination against foreign workers following murder of Bangladeshi

The murder of a Bangladeshi worker has prompted the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) to call for an end to discrimination against foreign workers.

HRCM condemned the killing of 25-year-old Bangladeshi worker, Muneerul Islam, who was found stabbed to death on Monday (November 28).

A statement from HRCM pointed out that Maldivians fail to recognise the significant contribution foreign workers make to the economic development of the country.

HRCM further stated that all humans – regardless of country or race – have the right to human rights, and called for the authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

Muneerul Islam was found murdered in his apartment located on the sixth floor of a building on Chaandhanee Magu, Male’s main tourist strip.

Earlier this year a senior Indian diplomatic official in the Maldives expressed concern over the ongoing practice of confiscating passports of migrant workers arriving to the country from across South Asia – likening the practice to slavery.

The Maldives has come under strong criticism internationally in recent years over its record in trying to prevent people trafficking, with the country appearing on the US State Department’s Tier Two Watch List for Human Trafficking three years in a row.

In the report, the Maldives is mainly flagged as a destination country for victims of labour exploitation, particularly from Bangladesh and to a lesser extent, India, but was also noted as a destination for sex trafficking.

Police have said that the murder of the Bangladeshi national is a “serious case”, but said no arrests had been made.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Three men arrested with alcohol, snakes

Police have arrested three men in possession of alcohol and snakes.

In a statement issued today police said they conducted a special operation last night at about 10:15pm, after receiving intelligence reports.

Police said a 21 year-old man and two 23 year-old men were arrested.

According to the police statement they were arrested near Ahigasdhoushuge in Maafannu ward. A room in the third floor of the house was rented by one of the men arrested.

Police searched inside the room and discovered 15 bottles of Finlandia vodka, 24 cans of beer and three snakes.

Police said the operation was very successful and stated that police had earlier received intelligence report that one of the men arrested was conducting a widespread trade of illegal alcohol in Male’.

The Drug Enforcement Department is currently investigating the case.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that two of the snakes were a dangerous species and were on the list of contraband.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Case on parliament property damage by MDP MPs to be submitted to police

A case concerning damage caused to parliament property by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs on 19 March 2012 is to be submitted to police.

The Parliamentary Behavioural Committee passed a motion to submit the case following a meeting held today (November 26).

Parliament has informed that on the day in question, damage was caused to desks, touch screens, 15 name boards, mic systems, administrative desks and voting cards in the parliament chamber.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof proposed the case, which was then supported by PPM interim deputy President MP Abdul Raheem Abdullah.

Five out of 10 members present at today’s committee meeting voted in favour of submitting the case to the Police.

Committee Chairman and PPM MP Mohamed Mujthaz did not participate in the vote.

MDP committee members proposed that no motions should be passed by the committee until the regulation on behavioural issues of MPs is passed by parliament.

This proposition was voted in favour by four MPs, including independent member for Velidhoo MP Ali Mohamed.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maleesha Hajj Group owner arrested in Srilanka

Police have located and arrested the owner of the Maleesha Hajj Group Ismail Abul Latheef, who was sought by the police through Interpol after he fraudulently collected money from many Maldivians seeking ti perform Hajj this year.

Police have not provided details of the case but local media reported that Latheef was arrested while he was at the Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo.

Sri Lankan police told Haveeru that Abdul Latheef was suspected of being involved in a Sri Lankan money laundering ring, and that he was suspected of collecting money from Sri Lankans as well.

Local newspapers reported that Latheef has been brought to Male’ and taken to the Criminal Court, where the court granted police a five day extension of  detention period.

The Maleesha Hajj Group was set up by Latheef and had an office in Male’. Maldivians who wished to perform the Hajj usually opt to go through Hajj groups rather than going alone, and are guided through the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Police issued a notice for the arrest of the 42 year-old in late September after it was alleged that he had defrauded 175 people of MVR 12 million (US$778,000), after they made payments to the Maleesha Hajj Group to travel to Mecca to perform Hajj.

On October 2, Interpol issued a red notice to locate and apprehend Latheef.

Likes(0)Dislikes(1)

JP MP Abdulla Jabir summoned to police regarding island raid, alleged alcohol consumption

Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Jabir exercised his right to silence on Saturday after being summoned by police in connection with alleged alcohol consumption on the island of Hondaidhoo.

Jabir continued to claim that police had beaten him in Hondaidhoo in Haa Dhaal Atoll, further stating that he held Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik directly responsible for the actions of the police.

Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz was also accused of incompetence by Jabir, who then vowed to sue the police chief for personal damages.

Jabir was arrested with nine other individuals on November 15 over the alleged possession and consumption of alcohol.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor was also summoned by police in connection with the same case and exercised his right to silence.

Both Jabir and Ghafoor were released from Kulhudhuhfushi Magistrate Court following their arrests. However, the refusal to extend their detention period by Kulhudhuhfushi Court has recently been appealed at the High Court.

Jabir said that he would vote in favour of the no-confidence motions against President Waheed and Home Minister Jameel, further alleging that President Waheed had deceived JP.

Suspicion has surrounded the motives behind the island arrests, with Maldivian Democratic Party alleging they were a politically-motivated attempt to disrupt parliament ahead of a no confidence motion against the President.

A delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) also expressed their concern over the circumstances behind the MP’s detention, stating “We find it difficult to believe in light of the circumstances and timing of the arrests that the parliamentarians were not targeted for political reasons.”

Days prior to the downfall of the then ruling MDP government on February 7, Jabir switched to JP where he had won the Kaashidhoo constituency seat in parliament. At the time, he had praised President Waheed and defended the coalition government.

However, Jabir today said the legitimacy behind the change of government on February 7 had not been determined by a court of law and hence called for an early election.

Jabir further questioned the validity of the Commission on National Inquiry’s (CNI) report into the transfer of power on February 7.

In addition to Jabir and Hamid, former opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and former Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair, his wife Mariyam Faiz, Zaki’s son Hamdhan Zaki, Seenu Hulhudhoo Reefside Jadhulla Jameel, two Sri Lankans and a Bangladeshi were among the ten people arrested from Hondaidhoo.

In relation to the motion filed to remove Jabir from the deputy leader’s post of JP, he said the move had been initiated by “children” who had been given posts in President Waheed’s government.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives sacks Human Rights Minister, “now under military dictatorship” says ruling coalition MP

Jumhoree Party (JP) Deputy Leader and MP Abdulla Jabir has challenged the legitimacy of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and his current government, alleging the country is now run by the police and military.

His wife Dhiyana Saeed, President Waheed’s Minister for Gender and Human Rights, was subsequently sacked.

At a press conference regarding the police raid of  arrests of himself, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, former President’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and other persons on charges of consuming alcohol, Jabir strongly criticized Waheed and the current government.

“They were so violent at first I thought they were some pirates or terrorists, they didn’t have badges or identification. Only after hours of brutality did they claim to be police and tell us we were arrested under charges of drug abuse,” Jabir said.

“I kept asking why theywere  acting in such a violent manner, but no one provided a reply.”

He said that they had been handcuffed for close to 12 hours before they had been transferred to the Kulhudhuhfushi court.

Jabir, who had refused to provide urine samples to the police, explained his stand: “I repeated this to the judge too. I said I’m ready to give urine, or even shave off all the hair on my head and give it to them, or even blood,but that they had to follow laws and procedures when making arrests.”

The MP in the ruling coalition party further alleged that “some persons” in the executive had lately been finding it “hard to digest statements in Majlis which were made in the public interest” and had resorted to tactics such as phone tapping. He also said that since military vehicles were involved, it was “reason enough” to believe that Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim were complicit.

Jabir said he had made a phone call to the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Mohamed Jameel right after he was released by the court.

“The Home Minister, Dr Jameel, said he had no knowledge [of the arrests]. So I have to say now that this country does not even have a home minister.”

“I am a JP MP who has supported Waheed and voted with his interests in parliament. I am also a deputy leader of JP, which is a coalition member of this government. Why did they then beat us up like this?” Jabir continued.

“Zaki nearly died. I almost died, too. I must say now the government is trying to kill off MPs.”

Speaking of the ministers, Jabir said: “No one has yet submitted a case on their cabinet posts to the courts, and the courts have not decided whether they are in their posts legitimately.”

“Even though the CNI said that this is not a coup, under what law does that CNI even qualify as a legal court?” Jabir said, questioning the legitimacy of the government – of which his own party is a coalition member.

“I see no reason why the President does not have to take the responsibility for this. That is, if there is a president. I now question whether there even is a president here. I guess the courts will provide us with an answer to that,” Jabir stated.

“I was giving Waheed my full support. But now I have been brutally beaten up for no reason at all. How can I support him after this? I can only describe the people behind this as devils disguised as humans,” he continued.

“I now see that what we have in the Maldives is a military dictatorship. We need to hold early elections as soon as possible. I will do everything I can in my capacity as a parliament member to facilitate early elections.”

“You were not even elected”: former HR Minister to President

Waheed administration’s Human Rights Minister, Dhiyana Saeed,  also attended her husband Jabir’s press conference the previous day “as moral support to [her] husband who has been badly brutalised.”

She was subsequently dismissed from cabinet.

“In my career, I have always had to take the side of the police and defend their actions, although I have never found it easy to accept their brutality towards citizens,” Saeed said, adding, “But this time, I have seen too close the violence they dealt out. No one should be beaten up, regardless of what the charges for arrest are.”

Saeed then proceeded to demonstrate through role play the exact manner in which the police had brutalised her husband, acting out how and where the police had hit him.

“Police even hit Jabir on his private organs so hard that he is still bleeding. I would know, I have seen for myself,” Saeed said, sharing the doctor’s reports to support the point.

According to Saeed, she had sent a text message to Waheed upon learning of Jabir’s arrest: “I said to him that he would know very well which of the cabinet ministers have spouses who consume alcohol, and that I knew very well why Jabir was arrested. I was implying that it was politically motivated and had to do with Monday’s vote in parliament. If it honestly is about alcohol consumption, then I believe there’s a huge number of people that need to be arrested.”

“I also told him that I am very shocked to see the levels he is stooping to to hold on to his post, and said that he was not even elected by a public vote. I have quite a lot of things I can say under oath too.”

Saeed then claimed that Waheed had responded stating that he was unaware of the arrests, adding that he himself was questioning who could have done this and for what purpose. According to her, Waheed himself said that he suspected it had been done in connection to Monday’s vote, in order to create more hostility towards him among the MPs.

Dhiyana Saeed was terminated from her post as the Human Rights Minister on Monday, following her public criticism of the current administration.

Abbas quits JP over Jabir’s comments

Meanwhile, government spokesperson and council member of JP Abbas Adil Riza has quit the party today, stating as a reason that judging by the statements made by people in the party leadership, he did not like the direction the party seemed to be moving in.

“Jabir’s statements are not sentiments that I can agree with. I don’t accept that it is within my principles to stay with people who evade taxes and defame police and other people. That is why I am leaving the party,” Abbas said.

We acted professionally during the arrest: police

Police have made public their official video of the arrest on Monday. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef denied that police had caused any physical harm to any of the arrested persons.

He however said that those who had restricted arrest had been pushed to the ground and handcuffed, adding that any damage caused through showing resistance was the responsibility of the arrested.

Haneef stated that police had followed normal procedures and acted professionally in the operation.

Abdulla Jabir and Dhiyana Saeed’s press conference:

Police footage of Jabir’s arrest:

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Civil Court issues, cancels order to detain DRP MPs Nashiz and Azim over BML debts

The Civil Court issued an order on Sunday to take Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Mohamed Nashiz and Ali Azim into custody and present them in court.

The order was cancelled later the same day, on the grounds that the judge presiding over the case was out of the country.

Police Media Official Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said police had been working to implement the order. He confirmed that the hearing had been scheduled for 1.30pm on Monday.

After the cancellation of the order, Sub-Inspector Haneef said that the reasons stated were that the judge was currently out of the country and other cases the same judge were presiding on had now been scheduled.

Following the initial issuing of the order, the DRP declined from making any comments on the issue. MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom said then that the case involved a personal matter and had no relation to politics or the party.

Dr Mausoom was not available for comment after the cancellation.

Department of Judicial Administration Director Ahmed Majid confirmed that the MPs were being taken to court in relation to a case submitted by the Bank of Maldives Pvt Ltd, asking the court for assistance in seeking due payments from the two persons.

This is in relation to a verdict by the Civil Court ordering Mahandhoo Investments and Kabalifaru Investments – two companies with ties to DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – to repay millions of dollars worth of loans to the Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML). The verdict was also upheld by the High Court in October 2011.

“This is the normal procedure. The courts have summoned them numerous times, and they have continued to fail to attend, with no acceptable reasons presented. It is then legally at the court’s discretion to have police intercept and present them to court,” Majid said.

He further confirmed that the members would be released from custody after Monday’s hearing.

Meanwhile, the vote to determine if secret ballots can be taken during the taking of no confidence votes have been scheduled for Monday’s parliament session.

Waheed attempting to influence vote: MP Azim

DRP MP Azim has alleged that President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and other senior members of the executive had approached him, offering to cancel the court summons if he agreed to vote for the secret balloting in a way they preferred.

Azim alleged that in addition to Waheed, his Political Advisor Ahmed Thaufeeq and Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza had called him and made similar statements.

Azim further said in parliament today that he was “not the least bit surprised” that Waheed had called, adding that he had expected as much. He alleged that Waheed had previously called him with similar intentions, including during the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) elections.

Following the arrest of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor and Jumhooree Party MP Abdulla Jabir last Thursday alleging use of alcohol, many opposition politicians claimed that this was a political stunt to jeopardise Monday’s vote.

Both the Maldivian Democratic Party(MDP) and the Human Rights Minister Dhiyana Saeed alleged that there was a “political motivation” behind the arrests.


The Civil Court issued an order on Sunday to keep Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Mohamed Nashiz and Ali Azim in custody and to present them in court. Later in the day, the order was cancelled, claiming the judge presiding over the case was out of the country.

Police Media Official Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that the police had been working to implement the order. He confirmed that the hearing had been scheduled for 1.30pm on Monday.

After the cancellation of the order, Sub-Inspector Haneef said that the reasons stated were that the judge was currently out of the country and other cases the same judge were presiding on had now been scheduled.

Following the initial issuing of the order, DRP declined from making any comments on the issue. MP Dr. Abdulla Mausoom said then that the case involved a personal matter and had no relation to politics or the party.

Dr. Mausoom was not available for comments after the cancellation until the time of press.

Department of Judicial Administration Director Ahmed Majid confirmed that the MPs were being taken to court in relation to a case submitted by the Bank of Maldives Pvt Ltd asking the court for assistance in seeking due payments from the two persons.


Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Man sentenced to 110 years in prison arrested over alcohol case

A man who was previously sentenced to 110 years in prison has been arrested in Fuvahmulah over an alcohol-related crime.

Ibrahim Usham, 23, of Greet, Fuvahmulah, was arrested at 11:15pm last night, together with a 15-year-old boy.

In an operation conducted by Fuvahmulah Police, the pair were arrested while producing alcohol in a vacant house in Hoadhandu district in Fuvamulah, police said.

Police found equipment used to produce alcohol at the house, including a 20-litre plastic barrel and a 1.5 litre coke bottle containing a substance suspected to be alcohol.

According to police, Usham had been serving his sentence under DPRS when he was handed over to the National Drug Agency upon the agency’s request in March 2011.

Police said that Usham was previously arrested on September 7 2012 in relation to a sexual misconduct case, at which time he also tested positive for drugs.

Further arrests were made at ‘chaka bin’ in Fuvamulah after four adults and two minors were found to be producing alcohol.

Police said that Usham was serving his sentence under DPRS when he was handed over to the National Drug Agency upon the Agency’s request in March 2011, for further treatment.

Police informed that Usham was also arrested on 7 September 2012 in relation to a sexual misconduct case, at which time he also tested positive for drugs.

Four adults and two minors were also arrested while producing alcohol at ‘chaka bin’ in Fuvahmulah yesterday evening.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)