Tag: robbery

Maafushi Council chair arrested in connection with missing half-million rufiya

Police have arrested the chair of Maafushi island council in connection with the alleged theft of MVR 520,000 (US$33,722) from the council’s budget, which was found missing from a safe in the island council secretariat.

Local newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported a local councillor as claiming that Abdulla Mufeed of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had been taken into custody.

Police revealed that the case had been reported on 26 August before the council chair was arrested on Thursday night (August 29), while he was in Male’.

Police said the investigation team had obtained documents related to the case as well as questioned people to clarify related information.

The island council obtained the money by renting a house in an auction, and the money was paid by the buyer according to an agreement between the two parties, said police.

Police also said the buyer had paid the monthly payment of MVR35,000 (US$2,269) in advance, a total of MVR 420,000 (US$27,237) in advance for the year, as well as paying MVR 100,000 (US$6,485) for the council to spend on social activities.

The fraud and financial crime department is investigating the case.

The councilor also told alleged to the paper Mufeed had stolen MVR 51,000 (US$3300) given to the council by the Youth Ministry.

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Four arrested in connection with Dharavandhoo power house robbery

Police have arrested four people from the island of Dharavandhoo in Baa Atoll in connection with the theft of MVR 75,000 (US$5000) was stolen from the island’s power house.

In a statement issued today police said the four men, aged between 21 and 27, were arrested yesterday at about 2:00pm after police obtained a court warrant. One of those arrested was a staff member at the power house.

Police alleged two islanders aged 16 and 23 tried to obstruct the arrests, and were also arrested.

Both the charges of robbery and obstruction of police duty have been filed at Dharavandhoo police station.

Baa Atoll online newspaper Eydhafushi Times reported Island Council President of Dharavandhoo Ibrahim Rashid as saying the power house was robbed after the staff allegedly left the power house to eat.

According to the paper, the staff learned about the robbery when they returned to duty at dawn.

Local media reported that the MVR 75,000 was stored inside a safe, which the thieves destroyed.

The Island Council Secretariat had not responded to calls at time of press.

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Man arrested for attack on Sonee Sports security guard

A man was arrested for attacking a Sonee Sports security guard with a sharp object in an attempt to rob the office, reports local media.

The Police Services told local media the 27 year-old was trying to break into the office and “items normally used for robberies” were recovered during an inspection of the area.

The injured security was taken to ADK Hospital for treatment and was later released, according to police.

The case is currently under investigation.

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Group of men attack expatriate near artificial beach

A group of people attacked an expatriate near the artificial beach area in Male on Monday night.

‘’When we went to the area the assailants had fled,’’ said Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef.

“The victim suffered minor injuries and police provided him with assistance. The victim said the group had tried to rob the victim,’’ Haneef said.

Haneef said no arrests have been made and did not disclose the nationality of the victim.

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Eight arrested over MVR293,100 theft from South Central Utilities Company

Eight men and a minor were arrested last week in connection to the robbery of MVR293,100 (US$19,000) in cash from the South Central Utilities Company, police have said in a statement.

Police have said that the theft occurred on December 18 at 2:10pm on the island of Gan in Laamu Atoll. A bank cheque of MVR13,000 (US$840) was also reported taken in the theft.

According to police, the money was stolen after thieves threatened the company’s staff with sharp weapons as the funds were to be deposited at a local bank branch.

A group of masked men appeared on the road and threatened staff, authorities have claimed.

Police have confirmed that the men arrested on suspicion of having involvement in the robbery were aged 25, 21, 27, 22, 19, and 18.

According to authorities, a 16 year-old minor was also arrested in connection to the case, though police have not presently revealed the identities of any of the suspects.

A police statement said that all the suspects were arrested while at Thundi Ward of Gan in Laamu Atoll.  Investigations into the case are currently being carried out by officers from Gan Police station in Laamu Atoll.

According to local newspaper ‘Haveeru’, Managing Director of South Central Utilities Company Mohamed Nimal confirmed to the paper that six members of its staff were among the eight suspects arrested in connection with the robbery.

The report added that two account officers, a marketing officer, a manager, a technical officer and a electrician all from the company were among those arrested in connection with the case.  The stolen money has not yet been reported found.

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Police release CCTV footage of men robbing Randheli resort office

Police are looking for three men who were caught on video footage obtained through the security camera of Randheli Resort’s main office in Male’, after it was robbed of more than MVR 100,000 (US$6500).

According to police, the robbery took place in the early hours of Saturday morning. The thieves took MVR 80,000 (US$5194) and US$3000.

Police have released the video footage of the robbery and appealed to the public to share any information they have regarding the case or persons involved in it.

The video footage obtained by police show three men sneaking from one room to another and roaming around inside the office looking for something.

All three were covering their faces and were wearing gloves. The video shows one man was carrying an object resembling an iron bar.

The video shows the man break breaching a room inside the office using a metal tool and coming out with a bag. Soon after they leave the office.

The face of one of the three men is seen at the beginning of the video footage.

Polices Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef did not respond to calls from Minivan News today.

In a statement police have requested the public to contact 332 2111 or police Serious and Organised Crime Department (991 1099) if anyone has information that might help the police investigation.

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Attempted robbery at Miladhoo Magistrate’s court

The Magistrate’s court of Miladhoo was broken into Saturday night (August 18), according to local media.

The court has been operating out of a house on the island since the official premises were damaged in an arson attack last year.

Thieves appeared to have attempted to break into the safe at the property, which at the time was said to have contained MVR125 (US$8), but were unsuccessful, Sun Online has reported.

The court was also targeted by thieves in April this year, who were said to have stolen MVR7000 (US$454). The island in Noonu Atoll has also seen three robbery-related arsons this year, local media has reported.

A police team is said to have arrived on the island as of today.

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Police arrest dismissed DPRS officer for theft, impersonating police

Police have arrested a man posing as a police officer and wearing a police uniform, after he attempted to rob a group of expatriate workers in a Male’ residence.

According to police, the man attempted to rob the house where expats working at ‘Muneer hotel’ live and he was caught Saturday afternoon.

In a statement police said the man was a former Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Service (DPRS) officer who was dismissed for his involvement in a theft case.

Police did not provide the name or age of the man but said he was 26 years-old.

The man entered the house where the expats lived and tried to pretend he was a police officer by using his old DPRS identification card, according to police.

Earlier this month, police arrested three police officers and a Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer after they allegedly robbed a large amount of cash from expatriate workers in a house near the State Bank of India (SBI), in Male’s Heniveru ward.

Newspaper Haveeru reported at the time that one police officer was a member of the police investigations team, while another was a Special Operations (SO) officer.

Haveeru reported that the men entered the house and attacked and threatened the expatriate workers on Friday night around 9:00pm.

Two of the police officers were in uniform during the incident, according to Haveeru.

On August 29 last year, police arrested the three MNDF officers accused of entering an expatriate residence in Male’ in army uniform and robbing the Bangladeshi workers with threats of violence.

The MNDF officers have returned to work after the MNDF concluded its investigation.

Newspaper Haveeru reported at the time that the uniformed officers entered the house on three consecutive nights and took Rf30,000 (US$1,945), Rf24,000 (US$1,556) and Rf12,000 (US$778) respectively.

In a parliament’s committee meeting MPs supporting the ruling party alleged that after police stations were set alight in nationwide protests on February 8, people had stolen police uniforms and were using them to conduct criminal activities.

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Two MNDF officers accused of robbery return to work

Two Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers facing charges of robbing expatriates in uniform last year have returned to work following the conclusion of their investigation.

MNDF Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem told newspaper Haveeru that the officers had been assigned duty and that their investigation was concluded.

The cases have now been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to be tried at the Criminal Court. If either officer is found guilty, Raheem said the MNDF would take “strict action”.

On August 29 last year, police arrested the three MNDF officers accused of entering an expatriate residence in Male’ in army uniform and robbing the Bangladeshi workers with threats of violence.

The MNDF officers were identified as Lance Corporal Ali Ibrahim, 26, of Lhaviyani Hinnavaru Aaramuge, and Private Hussein Mahir, 23, of Laamu Mundhoo Finifenmaage. They were taken into custody with the stolen cash.

Following the arrests, the MNDF said it was “working with the police to take the harshest legal action possible” against the errant officers.

According to local media reports at the time, the three officers robbed expatriate workers living in Maafanu Pink Rose on Fareedhee Magu on a number of occasions during Ramadan last year.

Newspaper Haveeru reported that the uniformed officers entered the house on three consecutive nights and took Rf30,000 (US$1,945), Rf24,000 (US$1,556) and Rf12,000 (US$778) respectively.

The two officers were reportedly confronted by members of the public on the third night, who informed the police.

MNDF Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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