Arrest made in Malé hostage and assault case involving Maldivian

An individual has been arrested in connection with a case where a Maldivian was held hostage and assaulted in a house in the capital Malé City.

In a message sent to the media on Thursday, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that the person arrested was Ibrahim Saeed, 48, of Feydhoo island in Seenu atoll. The police institution went on to reveal that he was arrested at the crime scene.

MPS highlighted that they received information about the incident on Wednesday. Following the information, police investigations led to the location where the Maldivian was being held hostage on Thursday, and the police went to the site and rescued the hostage.

The police institution also received a report about a person being illegally held captive in a house in Malé around 6am on Thursday. Upon receiving the report, the police went to the area, broke the lock of the house to enter, and rescued the person.

The police said that it was a Bangladeshi man and although he had no visible external injuries, he was taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

On 7 November 2024, a case surfaced where a person was held hostage in a Hiyaa flat in the second phase of Hulhumalé.

When the police entered the apartment, they found the victim sitting on the floor near the balcony with his head shaved, and hair strewn on the floor. 12 people were arrested from the crime scene. After sending the case for prosecution, they were released.

The police institution has assured that these cases are currently under investigation.