Malé, Maldives – An alleged extremist has been arrested by Maldives Police Service and remanded for 15 days by Criminal Court.
According to the information received, the arrested person is 29 year old Mohamed Zoomaal Zareer. While police have not confirmed whether the individual is related to the assassination attempt on Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed on May 6, 2021, criminal court has remanded him for 15 days.
He was arrested under a court warrant under the claims that if he was not arrested and to be free in the society that he might threaten the national security of Maldives and to the society. While he has denied the accusations which have been brought upon him, police stated that he was involved in planning an extremist attack within the country.
Police also revealed that he has prior police records and that he has been known to support extremism and has also been recruiting Maldivians for war in the name of jihad.
While four suspects have been so far arrested in connection to the terror attack, Police had revealed that an additional person was arrested in connection to the attack from Hulhumalé but did not give any further details. The individuals who are reported to be radicalized are identified by the police as Ahmed Fathih, Dhunfini Ufaa, L. Gan, Ahmed Adhuham aged 25, Mujaaz Ahmed of MA. Feyruge aged 21, and Thahmeen Ahmed of Folheyma, GA. Kondey, aged 32. The three were also sentenced to 15 days imprisonment by the Criminal Court.
Police allege that these individuals are radicalized and have initialized a crackdown on extremist in the Maldives. Maldives Police arrested a 27-year-old Maldivian male in connection to the crackdown on Thursday.
In addition, a total of nine individuals were arrested from the southernmost Addu City atoll for being a part of or for supporting violent extremist ideologies and five residences have been searched in Malé in ongoing operations.
The IED explosion went off around 20:20 on 6 May leaving Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed critically injured while he was getting in to his car near his house, G. Kenereege, Malé City. In addition to him, 3 more people were also been reported to be injured from the explosion including the Speaker’s bodyguards and bystanders.
Nasheed was brought in with heavy bleeding, and both internal and external shrapnel injuries. Ball bearings were found in Nasheed’s chest, near the heart. Injuries caused by these projectiles caused life threatening damage to the chest area. Nasheed endured major injury to the fourth rib, with a blade going through a lung. A projectile also went through his intestine with another near his liver.
Speaker Nasheed was treated at the Critical Care Unit of ADK hospital in Malé until yesterday and was airlifted to Germany yesterday for recovery and rehabilitation. Parliament had revealed yesterday that Speaker Nasheed’s medical expenses in Germany is being covered by Honorary Consul of Maldives in Germany, Christian Von Stetten.
