The former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed has been arrested.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) on Friday revealed that the former Controller General of Immigration, Shamaan, has been arrested under a court order in connection with a case where some employees of Maldives Immigration are suspected of misusing their official influence to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers.

RaajjeMV understands that, Shamaan was arrested when he reported to Henveiru Police Station on Friday night after being summoned to sign the inventory of items seized by police after searching his residence.

Reliable sources have informed that he was arrested abruptly, under government pressure for fear that Shamaan might reveal the truth about the matter.

In addition to this, a police statement released on Friday noted that in the investigation conducted so far regarding information received about some Maldives Immigration employees misusing their official influence to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers, it has been found that employees working in sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management Section, which usually handle the responsibility of finding and detaining illegal foreigners, have misused their official influence to search a house where foreign workers live, and have taken foreigners into Immigration custody along with a large amount of cash.

The police institution also highlighted that the investigation has revealed that one day later, on the order of the then Controller General of Immigration, a foreigner who was taken to Immigration detention with MVR 530,000 was released from detention in the late hours.

Further, MPS revealed that the investigation has indicated that Immigration employees who actively participated in searching the house met the released foreigner on the street, obtained the money he had, and entered the building where Shamaan lives, with that money.

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

In addition to this, the police said that Shamaan’s residence has been searched and a large amount of cash along with electronic devices have been taken into police custody. The police 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.