Life sentence of man found with drugs at airport reduced by half upon pleading guilty

The life sentence of a man convicted of drug trafficking—after being arrested with drugs at Velana International Airport (VIA)—has been reduced by half as part of a plea agreement with the state.

Adam Shareef, Surayya Manzil, R. Hulhudhuffaaru, was arrested from VIA’s domestic terminal with drugs in 2019.

The state charged Adam Shareef with diamorphine trafficking on February 13, 2020.

According to the case report, Adam Shareef was stopped and searched at VIA after Police Intelligence received a tip-off. During the search at the domestic terminal, officers discovered two rubber packets taped to his body containing diamorphine.

Adam Shareef initially denied the charges against him. The case report states he pled guilty and entered into an plea agreement with the state after it was explained to him that he would be sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined by MVR 100,000 if found guilty of the charges.

Judge Hussain Faiz, who was presiding over the case, accepted the plea agreement executed between the state and Adam Shareef and sentenced him accordingly.

In this regard, Adam Shareed received a lighter sentence of 12 years and six months in prison along with an MVR 50,000.

The time he has already spent in custody will be deducted from this prison sentence.