Maldives Police Service (MPS) has revealed that an individual was repeatedly fined for breaching the lockdown order during the lockdown period.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s “Fala Suruhee” show, Superintendent of Police, Hussain Sameer reveled that that the individual was fined 28 times, which totals MVR 28,000.

During the lockdown period, a total of 9,361 individuals were fined out of which 8,378 were from capital Malé City, 833 were fined from Hulhumalé and 150 were fined from Villimalé.

Under the orders of the Director General of Public Health, first time violators of the lockdown will be fined MVR 1,000 fines and repeat offenders will be arrested under Article 533 (a) of the Penal Code.

The total amount in fines reaches over MVR nine million.

Superintendent Sameer revealed that the authority will seek charges against all lockdown violations.

626 individuals were arrested by the time the lockdown ease plan began and out of this, 576 were from Malé, 47 were from Hulhumalé and three from Villimalé.

The lockdown ease plan came into effect on May 29 and the country is currently in the second phase, which was initiated from June 15 onwards.

Since the Maldives capital Malé City was locked down on April 15 following the detection of the first ever Covid-19 community transmission, police had been issuing daily permits for individuals to go out for essential supplies. Individuals are allowed to go out from 5am to 10pm under the current phase, and officers will be patrolling the streets of the Greater Malé Region to take action on those who are seen outside for non-essential purposes after 10pm.