More police officers from the special operations unit, which acts as riot police and are at the frontlines of demonstrations, have been incarcerated.

RaajjeMV understands that three officers with the unit were apprehended on Friday, two of whom were in capital city Malé at the time. The third officer was arrested upon returning from a visit to Sri Lanka.

A number of special operations officers have been arrested since the government declared Maldives’ ongoing state of emergency, including former head of the unit, Commander Saif Hussain.

Said officers are kept in incarceration without being brought in front of a judge or having been given a remand sentence. Prominent lawyers and even the allied opposition parties have expressed concern over this.

A number of military officers are also being detained by the Maldives National Defence Force, without contact with kin and access to visits.