Eight days after airport heist, fate of USD 100,000 still unknown
Masked individuals stole a suitcase containing approximately USD 130,000 from BML employees at VIA on October 27
Not a single dollar stolen during the airport heist, has been recovered
Eight days after the daring airport heist at Velana International Airport (VIA), the Maldives Police Service (MPS) has yet to recover a single dollar from the stolen suitcase containing more than USD 100,000 in cash.
The theft occurred around 4:45am on October 27, when a group of masked individuals confronted two bank employees and forcibly took a suitcase filled with foreign currency.
The employees, from the Bank of Maldives (BML), were reportedly preparing to distribute the funds, amounting to approximately USD 130,000, at the new terminal counter for travelers departing the country.
Four suspects have been arrested so far, in connection with the case, including Mazin Moosa, 25, of Raysham in Maavah island of Laamu atoll; Ahmed Raihan Naeem, 20, of M. Choras in Malé City; Ibrahim Anoof, 24, and Hussain Shahudh, 30, both of Alhivilaage in Guraidhoo island of Kaafu atoll.
The suspects were first detained for five days following their arrest. When presented before court again on Sunday, the judge ordered that they remain in custody until the conclusion of the trial.
Despite the arrests, the stolen money remains missing, and authorities have not disclosed any progress in locating it.
The police media department has stated that there is no further information to share with the public at this time.
The continued disappearance of the stolen cash, more than a week after the high-security airport robbery, raises growing questions about the effectiveness of the investigation and the fate of over USD 100,000 that vanished from one of the most heavily monitored areas in the country.
