Charges sought against foreigner accused of drug smuggling

Charges have been sought against a foreigner, under accusations of smuggling drugs into the Maldives.

The charges were sought against a 44-year-old Malaysian national.

The Malaysian national was remanded in custody pending the outcome of the trial, after being arrested under suspicions of attempting to smuggle narcotics.

The Criminal Court ordered the remand on October 3.

Among the reasons cited for the remand order, it was noted that sufficient evidence was presented to support the claim that the accused had committed the crime. This includes statements from officers of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) as well as the Maldives Customs Service, the confiscated drugs in the luggage, the execution of a controlled delivery operation, as well as mobile forensic reports.

Additionally, it was revealed that conversations and consultations took place within a network, with photos and information being shared, and a drug analysis report was submitted.

Further, the number of drugs confiscated met the trafficking threshold.

The remand was ordered in accordance with Article 49 of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives and Articles 59 and 60(k) of the Criminal Procedure Act.

The Criminal Court cited reasons for remand including public safety and security, as per Article 13(c)(3) of the Criminal Procedure Regulation on Trial Proceedings, which covers smuggling drugs from abroad into the Maldives. Article 4 addresses the discovery of drugs meeting the trafficking threshold, categorization as a major criminal case, and the large quantity of drugs found. Article 6 covers organized and planned drug trafficking.

MPS has wrapped up the investigation into the case and sent it to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) for prosecution.