PG Office to appeal release of leader associated with 61kg drug bust

The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office is set to appeal the release of Ahmed Visam, believed to be the leader of a drug trafficking network arrested in March 2020 in possession of 61kgs of illicit substances.

Public Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said that the PG Office would appeal the release of Ahmed Visam, who had been arrested along with 10 others from a sea vessel "Irualimas" in March last year in possession of 61kgs of illicit substances, to the High Court. The Criminal Court had reached a verdict to release Ahmed Visam from custody on 24 January 2021.

Prosecutor Shafeeu said that they had forwarded charges of trafficking dimorphine against Ahmed Visam to the criminal court, and that the 10 others arrested with him from aboard the vessel were also being presented with the same charges.

In addition to this, Shafeeu noted that the others arrested with Ahmed Visam in relation to the 61kgs of illicit substances remained in custody until the end of trials, and that Visam, who intelligence reports had identified as the leader of the drug trafficking network, had been released prior to the conclusion of his trial.

Ahmed Visam and 10 associates were arrested in 26 March 2020 in a joint operation conducted by Police Intelligence, the Drug Enforcement Department and Marine Police. They were arrested from aboard the "Irualimas" vessel in posession of 61kgs of illicit drugs. Police also seized money from homes searched in Male' and Hulhumale' believed to be acquired from the sale of such illicit drugs by the network.

The PG Office first pressed charges against Ahmed Visam and his 10 associates in May last year.