Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has said that the only way to resolve the severe addiction crisis in Maldives is to track and trace drug money, and those engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and sale across the country.
PG Shameem made the remarks in a blog post titled, "Pursuing drug money and those in the drug trafficking business", where he detailed the severity of the addiction crisis in the Maldives, and presented possible solutions on the matter. PG Shameem said that all major crimes linked back to the sale and abuse of drugs, and that courts in the Maldives were overwhelmed by petty crimes related to the sale and abuse of illicit substances.
PG Shameem also stated that he had been looking for ways to reshape the prosecution's strategy in such cases to pursue those active in the sale and trafficking of drugs to reduce the prevalence of addiction and illegal drug use across Maldives. He also stated that beginning January last year, the PGO had been seeking separate legal action in drug-related cases to have money acquired from the sale of illicit substances taken in to the state. He revealed that the purpose of this was to have such funds taken in to be spent on the government's projects to counter the drug crisis across the country.
In addition to this, Shameem also revealed that the PGO had changed strategies, and would now be seeking charges against drug traffickers who try to launder illicit drug money as under The Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act (10/2014).
PG Shameem went on to announce that the first such charges had been submitted to the Criminal Court on 18 March 2021, in relation to a drug bust conducted across four homes in the Male' area. Those facing money laundering charges in addition to drug trafficking charges in this case are Hassan Looth from Rangali, GDh. Thinadhoo, Hassan Rasheed from Hulhumale' Flat Numner 01-G-45, Ismail Shareef from White Rose, Th. Thimarafushi, and Shaniya Ibrahim from MA. Haslath in Male' City.
These people were charged with illegally importing drugs on 12 January 2021, in addition to abusing and trafficking illicit substances in the Maldives. Police were able to recover MVR 1,543,675 from the residences searched in relation to the case, and that authorities had been able to trace money acquired from the sale of illicit substances from their bank accounts to those of their known associates as well.
Subsection C of Article 7 of The Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act states that those charged with trafficking illegal drugs can also be charged for money laundering. As such, relatives and associates of known drug traffickers who have been found to have used or aided in laundering illicit drug money can also be charged for money laundering.
In addition to this, PG Shameem declared that people were under the misconception that they could avoid charges in cases related to drugs if they did not abuse the substances themselves, and stated that the misconception would be brought to an end shortly.
