Police are seeking charges against some owners of houses being operated as drug hubs, at the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office.

Media officer at the Maldives Police Service (MPS) confirmed the matter to RaajjeMV, stating that charges have been requested at the PG Office.

Police are seeking charges against owners of Bright Flower in Maafannu ward of capital Malé City as well as Fresh Light and Hilaaluge in the Galolhu ward, where crack houses were being operated. Alongside these locations, police officers have also conducted raids at other drug hubs that were being operated in the city.

Although the police institution initiated a major drug operation to seek out houses providing such services in the capital region recently, the operation was halted in the face of legal obstructions and other challenges.

Police Drug Enforcement Department’s Head Ahmed Shakir, who also represents the police institution at the National Drug Agency (NDA), earlier announced that efforts are underway to exterminate drug hubs. As such, the PG Office had even investigated the legal obstructions in eradicating such locations, but to no avail.

One of the biggest challenges police officers faced in the drug operation was courts refusing to issue orders to raid houses being operated as drug hubs.

While police had requested the Criminal Court to issue orders restricting entry into houses identified as drug hubs, in order to stop drug users seeking from seeking services there, the court is to have informed them that such an order can only be issued following a request from a resident.