Despite recovering over 80,000 rufiyaa worth of goods obtained through fake transfer slips, the police have released Zaidan Mohamed Hashim, 28, who orchestrated a fraud scheme targeting multiple stores. His accomplice, Afrin Akhtar, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national, was also arrested. Both were taken into custody on June 17 under a court order but have since been released.
The police investigation began on May 16 following a complaint about invalid slips used at a store in Hulhumalé. Further inquiry revealed additional fraudulent transactions at various stores in Malé and Hulhumalé. The suspects were identified through CCTV footage, which showed them transporting goods to two rented apartments in Hiyaa flats. A search of these premises uncovered items directly related to the investigation.
According to police statistics, the recovered goods include 36,467 rufiyaa worth from a Hulhumalé store, 31,150 rufiyaa from one Malé store, and 5,817 rufiyaa from another, totaling over 80,000 rufiyaa. At a remand hearing on June 17, Zaidan was ordered to be detained for 15 days, while Afrin Akhtar was remanded for 5 days. However, both were later released as their continued detention was deemed unnecessary for the ongoing investigation.
The police are currently investigating 11 fraud cases suspected to be linked to Zaidan, with two cases already in court proceedings. As these investigations continue, the police have highlighted a growing trend of transfer slip fraud in the Maldives. They urge businesses and customers to directly verify transaction slips with banks before releasing goods or services.
