High Court retracts release order for suspected drug-network leader

The High Court has granted the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office their appeal to retract the release order issued for suspected drug-network leader Ahmed Visam, who was arrested with 10 others in possession of 61kgs of illicit substances in March last year.

Public Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said earlier in January 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.

Visam, who intelligence reports had identified as the leader of the drug trafficking network, had been released prior to the conclusion of his trial. His release order has since repealed by the High Court following appeal from the Prosecutor General's Office.

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