The Maldives Police Service estimates that approximately 1,000 individuals are repeat offenders in theft-related crimes within the Malé area. During a press conference held to provide updates on the Malé Police Service, Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed stated that 3,449 cases have been reported this year. A significant portion of these cases involves theft and robbery. Specifically, 1,425 incidents of theft and robbery were reported, with theft cases being predominant, particularly the stealing of motorcycles.
Superintendent Abdulla Rasheed further reported that out of the 967 motorcycles reported stolen this year, 865 have been recovered and subsequently returned to their rightful owners. Additionally, a total of MVR 50,483,610 has been recovered this year in connection with reported theft and robbery cases. He also emphasized that approximately 1,000 individuals have been identified as repeat offenders in theft, some of whom have been arrested as many as 128 times. Efforts to address this pressing issue have already been initiated.
Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed elaborated on the ongoing efforts: “In collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Criminal Court, and our department, we have, since last month, begun identifying and compiling a list of the most frequent repeat offenders. The three parties are working together to expedite the sentencing of individuals who need to be isolated from society. We anticipate seeing the results of these efforts within about six months.”
The Police further noted that a majority of individuals involved in repeat theft offenses are drug users. According to police information, 2,288 cases of theft and robbery have been investigated this year, with work on 2,542 cases already completed. Furthermore, 107 cases have been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution.
