65yo behind hostage situation at Hiyaa Tower

A 65-year-old man was behind the hostage situation at one of the Hiyaa Towers.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that a man named Mohamed Saleem is the main suspect behind the hostage situation reported recently.

Speaking at a press conference held to provide details about the case where a person was held hostage and assaulted inside a Hiyaa apartment, Head of Drug Enforcement, Superintendent of Police Nahid Hussain revealed that the suspect behind the hostage case involving drugs is believed to be Mohamed Saleem, hailing from Innamaadhoo island of Raa atoll.

Police revealed that the suspect was arrested and remanded by the Criminal Court on Wednesday, for 15 days.

The 65-year-old man is suspected of being involved in drug trafficking.

The court order states that there appears to be sufficient evidence to establish a reasonable level of suspicion against him.

According to a police statement submitted, suspected drugs were found in his pocket and inside the apartment where he was staying.

Among the items found, preliminary tests indicated two grams of methamphetamine and one gram of heroin, which legally constitutes a large quantity.

Since different types of drugs were confiscated, it is believed that he is involved in drug trafficking, and releasing such a person could pose a threat to public safety.

13 rubber packets containing suspected substances were found on Mohamed Saleem upon arrest. In addition to this, eight rubber packets containing suspected drugs were found during a search of the apartment where he resides.

Superintendent of Police Nahid Hussain said that the suspect has in the past been sentenced to life imprisonment. He was charged at the Criminal Court in 2016 for trafficking Diazepam, found guilty on 17 March 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence was upheld by the High Court on 6 October 2022. While serving this sentence, he was transferred to house arrest on 8 July 2021. Nahid added that another case of Diazepam trafficking against him is currently ongoing at the Hulhumalé Court.

Police went on to note that the hostage situation was related to a dispute over drug trafficking.

Speaking at the police press, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Dawood revealed that the investigation has identified that the victim was likely held hostage and assaulted due to a disagreement stemming from drug trafficking activities. The flat where the person was held hostage was previously searched in relation to drug cases. Further, police revealed that the owner of the flat was also involved in the case.

Inspector Ali Ismail of the Serious and High Impact Crime Unit said that when police entered the apartment, 12 were present. Suspecting they were under the influence of narcotics, officers requested to take urine samples for testing, but only one person complied. The suspect who complied was identified as the flat owner, Adam Hussain hailing from Maavah island of Laamu atoll. He is to have tested positive for drugs.

The victim was held hostage inside an apartment in a Hiyaa Tower by a group of 12 men. The victim was being held in apartment 11 on the 20th floor of Hiyaa Tower 9. The 12 people arrested in connection with the case have been remanded in custody.

The incident was reported at around 7:40pm on November 7. According to information received, the hostage was a 31-year-old man. Upon learning that he was on the 20th floor of Hiyaa Tower, police obtained a court order, broke down the apartment door, and rescued the person. Police report that when they rescued the hostage, his head had been shaved, and when police arrived at the scene, the gang of 12 was preparing to sever his fingers. Police say no other physical injuries to the hostage were noted.

On Saturday, police said that 12 people had been arrested in connection with the case. When presented before the Criminal Court for remand hearings, five of them were remanded for five days, while the remaining seven were remanded for seven days.

Further investigations are currently underway to determine if any others were involved in the case.