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Man receives life sentence over 100 grams of heroin inside boxers

File photo of Drug Enforcement Department (DED) conducting a raid. (File Photo/Maldives Police Service)

The Criminal Court has issued the life sentence to a man who was arrested in 2019 while attempting to board a ferry from Addu City to Fuvahmulah City carrying over 100 grams of diamorphine or heroin inside his boxers.

Ahmed Mifzal, M. SentHelena, K. Male’, was arrested from the ferry terminal in the Feydhoo district of Addu on the afternoon of June 27, 2019, while trying to board a ferry to Fuvahmulah.

He was arrested following a tip regarding an attempt to traffic drugs on board the ferry.

The police stopped Mifzal and searched him inside the ferry terminal’s office. The police told the court that they asked him if he had anything hidden inside his body or his clothing, and Mifzal responded that he had a “package” inside his boxers. The police said that he then took out a small plastic bag with insulation tape wrapped around it from his boxers. The substance inside the bag weighed 100.8972 grams and tested positive for diamorphine.

He was also screened for drugs following his arrest, and tested positive for cannabis.

Mifzal was charged with trafficking diamorphine and consumption of cannabis.

He pled not guilty to both charges.

The Criminal Court issued its verdict on Monday. Despite Mifzal’s denial, the court found him guilty on both charges based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution.

The court issued a life sentence of 25 years in prison for diamorphine trafficking and three years in prison for consumption of cannabis.

He was also fined by MVR 100,000 for the trafficking conviction and told to settle the payment within 12 months.

Given the time he has already spent in detention, he was 24 years and 10 months left to serve.

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