Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated that a foreigner was released with MVR 530,000 on the instructions of former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamman Waheed.

In a statement released on Friday night, the police institution revealed that based on information received about some Maldives Immigration employees misusing their official influence to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers, an investigation was conducted. The investigation so far has revealed that employees working in sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management Section, which typically handle the responsibility of finding and detaining illegal foreigners, had misused their official influence. These employees had searched a house where foreign workers were residing, and taken many of them into Immigration custody along with a hefty amount of cash.

MPS also said that the investigation revealed that one day later, on the order of the then Controller General of Immigration, a foreigner who was taken into Immigration detention with MVR 530,000 was released from detention in the early hours.

Further, police stated that the investigation found that Immigration employees who were actively involved in searching the house met the released expatriate on the street, obtained the money in his possession, and entered the building where Shamaan lives.

The police institution went on to reveal that five people were stopped and searched under a court order in connection with the case, and their electronic devices were taken into police custody.

In addition to this, police revealed that they searched the house where Shamaan lives and took a hefty amount of cash and electronic devices into police custody. MPS has also said that three suspects in the case have been arrested under a court order.

Further investigations are currently underway in connection with the case.