Minister orders review of 119-kilo drug case after suspects’ acquittal

Home Minister Ali Ihusan ordered the police on Wednesday for a review of a 2021 counter-drug operation that led to the seizure of over 100 kilos of heroin, after two of the suspects charged in the case were acquitted.

Three people were charged with drug trafficking in the case. They are:

• Ali Zubair, Guleynooramaage, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo
• Ahmed Sunain, Irumatheege, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo
• Ahmed Mujahidh, Allora, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo

The Criminal Court issued its ruling in the case on March 20. It found Ali Zubair guilty of the charge, and sentenced him to a life term of 25 years in prison, and imposed a fine of MVR 100,000.

Meanwhile, Sunain and Mujahidh were acquitted. The latter is the elder brother of alleged drug kingpin Arshad Khalid, Allora, GDh. Hoadedhdhoo.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ihusan highlighted on the acquittal of two of the defendants.

“Following a thorough investigation into an allegation of smuggling and trafficking 119 kilos of drugs into Maldives on December 12, 2021, three people found to have been involved were charged by the PG [Prosecutor General’s] Office. But last week, the Criminal Court acquitted two of these individuals,” he said.

Ihusan said he had ordered the police for a review of the case as well as other similar cases.

“I told the Maldives Police Service today to review such cases and disclose all details to the public,” he said.

The case involves the seizure of drugs from the trunk of a taxi in Male’ City in December 2021. The drugs were found in a carboard box in the trunk. Sunain and Zubair had been in the taxi at the time.

The police found more drugs in a car driven by Mujahidh in Hulhumale’, and other properties.