Vice President Faisal Naseem has discussed strategies on battling illegal drug trafficking with officials from Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Prison Services on Thursday morning.

These discussions were held on Thursday as part of VP Naseem’s working visit to Singapore.

While discussions were also held on discouraging and preventing drug usage, officials from the bureau had shown VP Naseem an overview of Singapore’s “highly effective” prison rehabilitation program.

The program prioritizes providing convicts with career-relevant skillsets as well as helping them find jobs once their sentences have been completed so that they may be reintegrated into society as “responsible” and “law-abiding” members again, revealed the President’s Office.

VP Naseem also took a tour of Singapore’s Drug Rehabilitation Centre following the meeting.

While drug smuggling and trafficking has been a rising issue among Maldivians over the past years, the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has been active in their work to bring an end to drug trafficking by improving law enforcement and rehabilitations programs. As such, President Solih has re-opened upgraded Drug Detoxification and Community Rehabilitation Centers in two islands thus far.

The centers aim to provide effective drug prevention methods, treatment and rehabilitation for drug users in the community as well as to effectively redeem them back to society as civilized people. It aims to achieve a drug-free community.