Charges sought against officers involved in prison drug smuggling

Charges have been raised against the officers arrested and remanded under accusations of being involved in smuggling drugs and mobile phones into prisons.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) on Saturday revealed that they have wrapped up the investigations into 13 of the officers involved in the racket and forwarded their findings to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) to seek charges.

In late June, MPS revealed that they had uncovered a case of smuggling phones and drugs into prison complexes.

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the police institution, stated that efforts were being made to resolve the issue, as phones and drugs are repeatedly being discovered inside prisons.

Ihusaan added that findings so far indicate that 18 correctional employees had unusually large amounts of money deposited in their accounts, with around MVR 24 million deposited to some of their accounts.

Up to MVR 73 million was deposited in the accounts of the 18 employees on multiple occasions.

Several employees of the Maldives Correctional Service have been arrested in connection with the case.

Arrested were nine officers from Maafushi Prison, two officers arrested from Kaashidhoo island of Kaafu atoll and one each from Malé and Utheem island of Haa Alif atoll.

MPS earlier revealed that two individuals were remanded for a period of five days and the remaining 11 officers were remanded pending the end of their trials.

Minister Ihusaan stated that anyone working in a uniformed institution being sold for money will not be tolerated.

MPS has also given the assurance that the case will be thoroughly probed and the perpetrators would be brought before justice.