Businessman robbed of Rf435,000 in gang attack

A businessman has been attacked and robbed of Rf435,000 (US$33850) and US$7100 in the latest of a series of gang attacks in Male’.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the incident occurred last night around 12:00am on Janavary Magu near Sonee Hardware.

Shiyam said the man was carrying money belonging to a company when the gang approached and stabbed him.

The man is currently being treated at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) “and his condition is not very serious,” according to Shiyam.

An eye witness told Minivan News that the 41 year old victim was stabbed in the back and robbed of Rf435,000 and US$7100 during the incident. He said the man was taken to ADK Hospital around 12:30am.

Police did not know whether this case was related to other recent similar cases, Shiyam said, in which business owners carrying large amounts of money after closing their stores are attacked by gangs.

Last year on 28 December prominent businessman Ahmed Ibrahim Didi, known as ‘Campus’ Didi, was stabbed and robbed of almost US$300,000 in cash by unknown assailants. He was badly injured during the incident and was flown to India for emergency treatment.

Two days later, the manager of the Sunfront store, Mohamed Rashaad Adam, and an employee of the shop were attacked by a gang when they were on their way back to home with the day’s takings in cash with them in a small bag. The employee was badly injured but no money was stolen during the attack.

Vice President of the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce Institution (MNCCI) Ismail Asif said the organisation had held a meeting with police to make businessmen aware about these sort of incidents.

”We are trying to make Male’ a peaceful place for the businessman,” Asif said.

He said it was bad for businesses to face these kind of challenges “especially during a time of economic crisis like this.”

He such crimes could be prevented if people became more aware of the dangers of carrying large amounts of money.

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