119kg drug bust: All suspects jailed pending outcome of trial

Criminal Court has remanded all three suspects arrested in connection to the 119 kilo drug bust that took place under a counter-narcotics operation in Male’ City back in last December.

The 119-kilo drugs seized during this operation are linked to the drugs found in the trunk of a taxi parked at the intersection of Maafaiythakurufaanu Magu and Buruzu Magu.

The three suspects charged in the case are Abdulla Mujaahidh, 29, Allora, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo; Ali Zubair, 52, Guleynooramaage, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo and Ahmed Sunain, 25, Irumatheege, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo.

Criminal Court’s Media Officer Aman Mohamed Najeeb said that at a hearing held today, the Court had remanded all three suspects in jail pending outcome of trial.

During the search of a taxi in Male’ City on December 12 – Police seized over 100 kilograms of drugs. They later on recovered additional packets of drugs linked with those found from the taxi after searches of three houses in Male’, one house in Hulhumale’, a private car and three cycles – increasing the total amount of drugs seized to 119 kilograms.

Suspects identified in the case also include alleged drug kingpin Arshad Khalid, 26, Allora, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo – who was released previously as the drug charges raised against him back then were not proven in court. Another suspect is Mohamed Akram Abdul Hannan, 31, Dhoadhi, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo.

Police said that Arshad and Akram left the country after smuggling the drugs into Maldives.

They further detailed that the kingpin in trafficking the drugs to the Maldives, whose instructions the remaining acted on, is Arshad.

Arshad was previously arrested  under suspicions of being part of a local drug trafficking ring, and believed by the Police to be the ringleader.

He was released by the Criminal Court, citing charges against him were not proven, after the Supreme Court had ordered his detainment pending outcome of the trial after declaring drug trafficking to be a threat to the national security.

Zubair and Sunain who are implicated in the taxi drug bust were also charged in connection to the case. They were both released as charges were not proven as well.

Following Arshad’s release – it is alleged that he operates a drug network whilst residing in Dubai.