Malé, Maldives – Maldives Police Service (MPS) has revealed that Misbah Mohamed, who was announced to have gone missing is suspected to be held by a drug network in Pakistan as collateral for the 72 kilograms of drugs which was seized on December 8, 2020.
While Police had announced for public assistance to locate the 25 year old from HDh. Nolhivaranfaru in May, 2021, Maldives Police Service revealed yesterday that he had flown to Dubai on November 11, 2020 on Fly Dubai flight which left Maldives at 22:13.
According to police, Misbah went to Dubai with Irufan Thagiyyu, aged 32, from Hulhudhoo, Seenu Atoll who has been arrested by police in December 2020 for the smuggling of the 72 kilos of drugs.
It was further revealed that Irufan had returned back to Maldives on November 22, 2020 and that Misbah had gone to Pakistan from Dubai on November 23, 2020 instead of coming back to Maldives.
Police also added that they suspect that the international drug network has held Misbah as a guarantor for the payment for the 72 kilograms of drugs which was smuggled by Irufan last year.
Police revealed that their intelligence received information that drugs were being smuggled into Malé from outside of Maldives via a fishing boat named “Masjaree 2” and later into Malé using a speed launch on 8 December 2020. The police confiscated drugs weighing over 72 kilos from the trunk of a car in Malé.
Prosecutor General had pressed charges against 10 people who were arrested with over 72kg of drugs on February 14, 2021.
The PG’s office reported that Irufaan Thahiyyu, S. Hulhudhoo, and Mohamed Visham, R. Inguraudhoo were accused of smuggling over 72 kilos of drugs info Maldives via a fishing boat named “Masjaree 2”. The case was filed at the Criminal Court for trial. The 10 people involved in the case are accused of trafficking Diamorphine while three of them are also charged with using Cannabis.
Individuals charged with smuggling Diamorphine
- Irufaan Vagiyyu (32yrs), Dheyliaage, S.Hulhudhoo
- Mohamed Visham (28yrs), Alaska, R.Inguraidhoo
- Ahmed Naseer (38yrs), Anbugasdhoshuge, D.Maaenboodhoo
- Ali Ahmed (37), MA.Kandooge, K.Malé
- Mohamed Akram (27), Gardenbeauty, K.Malé
- Abdullah Visham (26), Alaska, R.Inguraidhoo
- Mohamed Shareef (34), Nooriaage, HDh.Nolheevaranfaru
- Mohamed Furqan (33), Parisholiday, L.Gan
- Mohamed Vajeeh (35), Thadirathmaage, T.Thimarafushi
- Ahmed Shinan (30), Feeroazge, R.Rasgetheemu
Individuals charged for using Cannabis
- Mohamed Shareef (34), Nooriaage, HDh.Nolheevaranfaru
- Mohamed Akram (27), Gardenbeauty, K.Malé
- Ahmed Naseer (38yrs), Anbugasdhoshuge, D.Maaenboodhoo
A number of residences in Male’ were also inspected in relation to the case and the police has now taken two cars, the speedboat and the fishing vessel under their custody. According to the police, the arrested suspects were the men on the fishing boat, the speedboat and the car. Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed earlier revealed that the seized contrabands were estimated to have a street value of MVR 71 million.
In addition to this, police has urged all vehicle owners to exercise caution noting that most of the time, the owners were unaware that their vehicles and vessels were being used by drug traffickers to transport smuggled narcotics.
