The Criminal Court has released a man arrested on suspicion of drug use, citing that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) had conducted an unlawful stop prior to his arrest.

The individual, identified as 38-year-old Ibrahim Ameel from Fuvahmulah City, was taken into custody on September 22. However, upon being presented before the court, he was released without any conditions.

According to the court’s decision, Ameel was stopped by police during a patrol for the purpose of verifying information. The court noted that under Article 38(d) of the Criminal Procedure Act, law enforcement officers may stop a person without a warrant only under specific circumstances defined by law.

The court order stated that the police report did not establish that the situation met the legal threshold required to justify stopping Ameel under Article 38. Further, while authorities claimed the stop was conducted for information verification, the court found that no clear grounds or specific suspicions were provided to support the action.

As a result, the court concluded that the stop was conducted in violation of the Criminal Procedure Act and ruled that the subsequent arrest was unlawful. Based on these findings, the court ordered Ameel’s immediate release from custody.