L. Gan, Maldives – More updates have been received regarding the hijacked ‘Faskuri’ boat, which was forced to dock at L. Gan harbor after a group of some 30 hijackers came on to the boat some time after midnight on Monday morning, armed with sharp-edged weapons, demanding that the boat be taken to the harbor.
According to the crew of the boat which is based in Addu, an angry mob of islanders have gathered to the harbor and have stopped the crew of the boat leaving the island back to Addu in the boat, after giving their statements to Police. The islanders are also reportedly demanding that the crew disembark from the boat and are giving death threats to the crew on board.
Local media outlet ‘Vaguthu’ reported that the ‘Faskuri’ boat originally belonged to an individual from L. Gan and that it was sold at the price of MVR 7 million two years back, on a monthly payment basis. The Individual from L. Gan who claims to be the owner of the vessel reportedly told the media outlet that the buyer, he claims to be MP Jabir of Kaashidhoo constituency, failed to pay the price and that according to the contract, if two months of payments are missed, the owner had a right to take back the vessel, which he did.
The individual is also reported to have further explained that he only received MVR 700,000 of the total price at which the vessel was agreed. He also is reported to have denied that any of the hijackers who went on board the vessel would have carried weapons and that they simply wanted to take the vessel back in a civil manner as the boat was in the atoll where the actual owner of it is.
While the hijacking has been reported to Police, the weapons have already been seized and statements have been collected from those aboard the vessel. However, as per the latest updates by Maldives Police Service, no arrests have been made with regards to the case. MP Jabir is also yet to make an official comment regarding the allegation against his name.
