Pakistani national sentenced to 23 years in prison for smuggling more than five kilograms of drugs by air
Although the defendant, Abdul Latheef Baloch, denied ownership of the seized items, airline records confirmed that the luggage had been checked in under his name. The court imposed a heavier fine after taking into account evidence suggesting he had previously smuggled narcotics into the Maldives.
The building housing the Criminal Court and Drug Court | RaajjeMV | RaajjeMV
The Criminal Court has sentenced a Pakistani national to 23 years in prison after finding him guilty of smuggling over five kilograms of drugs into the country by air.
The individual sentenced to prison in this case has been identified as Abdul Latheef Baloch. He was arrested on these charges approximately two years ago, on March 12, 2024. Baloch arrived in the Maldives via a Qatar Airways flight. Customs officers questioned him after he voluntarily entered the Red Channel, the designated area for declaring dutiable goods.
Baloch denied the drug trafficking charges in court, maintaining his innocence. He testified that he had checked in only one piece of luggage for his flight to the Maldives, asserting that the bag containing the drugs did not belong to him.
Following Baloch's statement, the court verified his flight details, including the number of pieces of luggage checked in. Documentation provided by Qatar Airways confirmed that two pieces of luggage had been checked in under his name.
In addition to the life sentence, presiding Judge Ibrahim Ihsan ordered Baloch to pay a fine of MVR 2 million. The fine was increased as Baloch is believed to be a repeat offender who has smuggled drugs into the Maldives on multiple occasions.
