Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz is to be transferred to the National Drug Agency (NDA) with the same salary and benefits he currently receives.

This has been confirmed to RaajjeMV. Although it has been decided to transfer Riyaz to NDA, he has not been dismissed from the Maldives Police Service (MPS), yet.

The decision to transfer ACP Riyaz to NDA comes at a time he has remained distanced from significant police work. ACP Riyaz was the head of the Criminal Investigations Department when the current administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu came to power.

RaajjeMV understands that ACP Riyaz has been transferred to NDA under the principle of secondment for a period of two years. NDA is an agency operating under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.

Under Article 31 of the Police Act, the Commissioner of Police has the authority to assign a member of the police service to work at another location for a specified period based on the principle of secondment. In addition to this, if deemed appropriate, the Commissioner may grant permission for an individual from another organization to work within the police service, in accordance with the regulations established under this Act.

Riyaz's transfer to the NDA comes at a time when there are growing complaints that the government is not doing enough to address drug-related issues.

Riyaz was appointed to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police in March 2019. He was appointed to the position after his police job was reinstated. He was dismissed from the police service in September 2017 during the presidency of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.