Umar Naseer: Drug dealers infiltrate state, parliament under party cover

Former Home Minister Umar Naseer has alleged that drug dealers continue to infiltrate state institutions and even Parliament, operating under the guise of political party affiliation.

Speaking on SSTV’s Baaru Hathareh programme on Thursday evening, Umar claimed that drug networks have recruited thousands of government employees, including police, corrections officers, and judicial staff, by paying them monthly to protect gang interests.

“They’re not just on the streets. They’re wearing white shirts and party-themed ties, running businesses, and sitting in Parliament,” Umar said. “This is a massive infiltration.”

He estimated that gangs pay around 3,000 state employees monthly and accused the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) of harboring drug dealers within its ranks.

Umar also criticized the effectiveness of recent nationwide drug operations, including one involving 500 police officers last Thursday. He claimed that most of the 90 individuals arrested will be released within a month, as has happened under previous governments.

“The government says it will impose harsher penalties under the Drugs Act, but nothing changes,” he said.

Calling for systemic reform, Umar proposed abandoning the current rehabilitation model, which he described as ineffective and borrowed from Australia, and replacing it with one based on Islamic Sharia. He said the National Drug Agency (NDA) lacks the capacity to treat large numbers of addicts and suffers from political interference.

“The relapse rate is 80 percent. We need a complete overhaul,” he said.

Umar reiterated his long-standing position that drug shipments passing through Maldivian waters should be intercepted and destroyed. He also criticized the lack of asset seizures from drug dealers over the past 20 years, despite legal provisions allowing it.

He claimed that the Bank of Maldives (BML) is unable to freeze gang leaders’ accounts, allowing them to continue withdrawing funds freely.

“Every government has come under gang influence,” Umar said, adding that some sitting MPs have criminal records related to drugs.

Umar, known for his hardline stance on law enforcement and national security, has consistently advocated for extreme measures to combat drug-related crime in the Maldives.