We will not protect drug dealers: Home Minister Imran

Home Minister Sheikh Imran Abdulla. | Photo: Avas

Male’, Maldives – Home Minister of Maldives, Sheikh Imran Abdulla has said that this government would not give political protection to anyone in the drug business.

He said this in a tweet he posted yesterday evening following the major drug bust operation carried out by Maldives Police Service in Addu City in which they have confiscated over 98.6 kilograms of drugs so far.

In his tweet he said that they are winning the war against drugs as this government is not giving political protection to the people involved in this illegal business and that their efforts in disrupting the supply is succeeding due to this fact. He also stated that this operation was successful because of the talent and capacity of the Maldivian Police Services and specially the Drug Enforcement Division (DED) of the service.

While police arrested 14 people in the operation in Addu, only a few names have been reveled. Among them includes Abdulla Ibrahim (Abucha) who has a record of drug smuggling and distribution and other criminal activities. was previously arrested eight times over drug-related incidents. He was also arrested over a gang-rape, two counts of gang violence, one attempt at sexual assault and two counts of obstruction of justice. He was arrested on July 30, 2019 with 6 kilograms of drugs but Criminal Court released him and 3 others arrested with him under particular requirements which were not reveled.

While two of the arrested have been remanded until the end of this investigation while the remaining have been remanded for five days. Police has told that they were working with relevant international agencies to find out the source of these drugs which were smuggled in to the Maldives via sea.