Sri Lankan issued life sentence for trafficking cannabis

The Criminal Court, on Monday, found a Sri Lankan national guilty of trafficking over one kilo of cannabis into Maldives, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The defendant, Mohamed Nasmin Mohamed Mubeen had travelled to Maldives on a China Easter Airlines flight on June 12, 2017. He was charged with trafficking after drugs were discovered hidden inside his luggage during a security check at the airport by Customs.

Customs officers found 812.6 grams of cannabis in a plastic bottle and 198.1 grams of cannabis in can – totaling 1,010.1 grams of cannabis.

The case was presided over by Judge Ali Rasheed Hussain, who found Nasmin guilty of trafficking cannabis beyond reasonable doubt.

Nasmin was issued a life sentence and ordered to pay a MVR 100,000 fine to Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within the next six months.

The sentencing hearing was held via video conferencing.