Under “Operation Alimagu,” a police initiative targeting drug traffickers in Addu City, 10 locations have been searched and 10 individuals arrested to date. The court has extended the remand period for six of these individuals. Specifically, Hassan Nazif from Gulukanduge, S. Hithadhoo, has been remanded for an additional five days. The police have also publicly identified five individuals from Hithadhoo who were arrested last Wednesday night as part of this operation. They are Ali Nadeem, Haafiz Fauzee, Ibrahim Siraj, Hassan Alfaaf, and Ameen Mohamed. While the court ordered Nadeem, Haafiz, and Siraj to be remanded for 30 days, Alfaaf and Ameen were remanded for five days. All these individuals are reportedly affiliated with the Hithadhoo “Mylo” group, with Nadeem identified as its leader.
Police stated that investigations into drug trafficking and money laundering targeting individuals within this network commenced in March of this year. It has been discovered that this group has been involved in drug-related businesses since 2017. Furthermore, police sources indicate that over 19 million Rufiyaa has circulated through the accounts of four individuals within this Hithadhoo drug network over the past five years. In a related development, the Parliament last Wednesday passed a bill to amend the Drug Act. This amendment introduces the death penalty for individuals who import or traffic illicit drugs into the Maldives and changes the life sentence from a fixed 25-year term to imprisonment until death.
