A man has been slapped with life imprisonment, for drug trafficking.

The Criminal Court sentenced Mohamed Ahsan, native to capital Malé City to life behind bars.

In its ruling, the court stated that Ahsan and others were found guilty of involvement in drug peddling after a raid conducted inside a house at around 6:43pm on 1 May 2021, by officers of the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

Officers are to have found an empty film cannister wrapped in insultation tape inside a basket inside the closet of a room inside the house, filled with 10 grams of narcotics that tested positive for cannabis in the analysis stage. Officers found 12 other empty film cannister wrapped in insultation tape inside a box hidden away inside a hole in the room’s ceiling, stuffed with 311 grams of narcotics that were found to be cannabis as well.

The latent print taken from the drug-filled empty film cannisters matched the thumb impressions taken from Ahsan.

Following the match, Ahsan was charged with cannabis trafficking, by the state.

Judge Safwath Habeeb issued the ruling against Ahsan, stating that Ahsan was found guilty of trafficking cannabis, beyond reasonable doubt as there was sufficient evidence against him.

The court also slapped him with a fine totaling MVR 100,000 to be paid within 12 months of being sentenced.

Further, the two years, four months and 10 days he spent behind bars is considered time spent, with which he has to serve 22 years, seven months and 20 days more of his sentence.