Murder suspect arrested by chance

21-year-old Irufan Rushdhee, for whom a search was issued on Thursday, has been arrested.

The search was issued by the presidential Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances, seeking the public's help in his search.

It said that Rushdhee has not returned to the country after leaving in 2015, according to the Maldives Immigration, but that he was spotted at a murder scene in 2016 (through CCTV footage).

He was arrested on luck, following a report of a boat drifting 15 miles out of Thinadhoo island in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll after running out of fuel.

Police said that the matter was reported at around 1am on Friday.

Noting that there had been four people onboard 'Blue Wave' at the time, police said that Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)'s squadron had attended to them and that they were taken to Thinadhoo island by 4:22am.

Police said all four were taken to the Thinadhoo police station due to suspicions, which was when they learned that Rushdhee -whom they had been searching for three years- was among them.

He was taken into custody immediately, as well as the other three.

The 21-year-old is wanted in connection to the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Fathir Mohamed Ali in June 2016.

A group had entered Fathir's house on the night of 3 June 2016, and stabbed him to death.

He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

While another 14-year-old, Ahmed Irshan Mohamed, was also stabbed to death earlier that day, authorities said that the two are linked.

As such, the latter is deemed a “revenge” for Irshan’s murder in connection to which, three were charged.

Three juveniles were charged with first-degree murder in connection to Irshan’s death, in August 2016.

Authorities had initially issued a search for Rushdhee in June 2016.