Foreign Ministry: Info on Luthfee’s surrender was relayed to relevant agencies

Information regarding the surrender of fugitive Abdulla Luthfee at the Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka was relayed to relevant State agencies and extradition process initiated on the day of his surrender itself, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Luthfee, the mastermind behind the terror plot of November 3, 1988 which killed 19 Maldivian citizens, surrendered himself to Maldivian government officials at the embassy in Colombo on May 1.

Official confirmation of the surrender came on June 24, after the news was reported in local newspapers.

In a press statement this Wednesday, Foreign Ministry said that information regarding Luthfee’s surrender was relayed to Sri Lankan government on the day of his surrender itself.

It said the Maldivian government also immediately initiated the legal proceedings for his extradition. It said Luthfee’s extradition was delayed in face of challenges due to the nature of the issue.

“Since Luthfee has an Interpol red notice on him, there are certain international protocols which need to be observed. There were certain procedures which needed to be followed as per Sri Lankan law since he had been living in the country without a valid visa, as a fugitive, and since he tried to seek asylum from the country on human rights grounds,” said the Foreign Ministry in its statement.

It said that the Maldivian government had faced additional challenges since Luthfee surrendered in the aftermath of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.

“Despite the challenges, the process for Luthfee’s extradition was initiated from day one, and he was placed in custody of Maldives Police Service. We take this opportunity to provide our reassurance that efforts to extradite him as soon as possible by observing international protocols and in line with both Sri Lankan and Maldivian law is ongoing without cease,” said the Foreign Ministry.

Luthfee, who is sentenced to life, was granted permission by the then-Maldivian administration to travel to Sri Lanka for medical treatment on January 16, 2010.

He had been on the run ever since.