The police service has begun a manhunt for a suspect in the murder of 19-year-old Ibrahim Aagil.

Aagil was stabbed in the neck near the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) in capital city Male’ on Friday night.

The police are seraching for 18-year-old Hamdhoon Hamzath, native to L. Fonadhoo.

The police have urged the public to come forward with any information about the suspect and to contact either its hotline 3322111 or its Serious and Organized Crime Department’s number 9911099.

Speaking to RaajjeMV on the night of the assault, Managing Director at ADK Hospital, Ahmed Affaal said that Aagil was ‘most probably dead’ when he had been brought in at around 07:30 p.m. that night, but that the doctors had tried to revive him.

Witnesses at the scene revealed that the stabbing took place at around 07:15 p.m. and that the assailant approached Aagil from the front and stabbed him in the center of the neck. Aagil then fell to the ground and began thrashing around while struggling to breathe.

Cases of assault and gang violence have notably increased within the past month.