Sattar: Police should be adequately empowered to resolve drug issue

Holhudhoo MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed, representing ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), states Maldives Police Service should be adequately empowered to resolve one of the most pertinent issues in the Maldives; drugs.

The bill to amend the Drugs Act as detailed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu was submitted to the Parliament on Monday. The preliminary debate on the bill was held at Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting.

Speaking during the debate, Sattar said the topic of resolving the drug issue was being discussed not just because Maldives is a 100 percent Muslim nation where the Islamic religion forbids the use of drugs – but also because it poses the greatest threat to the society.

He attributed Maldives’ failure to resolve the drug issue to law enforcement agencies not being adequately empowered.

“We always hear someone committing a crime enter [the system] from one door and exit from the other door. This is a result of agencies that should chase these matters not being adequately empowered. They need to be adequately empowered. It is the only way to resolve this,” he said.

Speaking further, Sattar described drug sellers as a bigger threat than drug addicts. As such, he underscored the need to dismantle drug networks by any means in order to save the society.

“There is only a few among Maldivian families without a drug addict. The danger of this is evident from my island alone where homes were torched to destroy evidence after the police trailed dugs and arrested suspects. Police officers’ motorbikes were torched too,” he detailed.

Sattar stressed the need to implement the Islamic Shariah in order to resolve the issue and in this trajectory, enforce the penalties prescribed whether it be the death penalty.

The government-backed bill to amend the Drugs Act was submitted by ruling PNC’s Gan MP Yoosuf Nasheed.

According to the government, the bill seeks to grant law enforcement agencies additional powers in order to combat a rise in drug trafficking, drug peddling and drug abuse in the Maldives.

It also seeks to improve the drug rehabilitation system so that drug addicts can be provided effective treatment and rejoin the society.

Key highlights:

• Introduction of a mechanism to control new drugs or substances that can be abused or cause addiction.
• Criminalization of additional drug-related offenses.
• Enhancement of the drug rehabilitation system.
• Revision of the functions of the Drug Court and policies on court-mandated drug rehab programs.
• More powers to law enforcement agencies to combat drug-related offenses.
• Revision of the policies on seizure and repossession of assets gained through criminal means.
• Additional amendments to strengthen law enforcement.

Some of the additional powers the bill grants are the power for customs officers to detain and search individual without a court warrant if there are probable grounds to believe an individual may have committed or is about to commit an offense declared in the Drugs Act.

The bill also grants the police more powers to make arrests and conduct searches without a court warrant.

President Muizzu has previously cited resolving the drug issue as one of the biggest priority of his administration.