Excavator operator arrested in death of WAMCO worker at Thilafushi

The police on Sunday announced the arrest of a Sri Lankan national in connection to the death of a Bangladeshi national whose body was found in the industrial island of K. Thilafushi two days after he was reported missing.

Ameen Mia, 24, an employee of the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO), went missing from Thilafushi on January 26. He was found dead two days later, on January 28.

The police said at the time that they believe Ameen died the same day he went missing.

A police spokesperson provided additional details regarding the case on Sunday.

According to the spokesperson, police believe Ameen had been at a waste site in Thilafushi in the afternoon of January 26, when he fell after getting hit by the bucket of an excavator that was being used to collect the waste.

Police believe Ameen’s body had been transferred to another location with the waste, and got buried under a pile of waste.

According to the police, CCTV footage shows the work continued uninterrupted despite the excavator bucket hitting Ameen.

The police have now arrested the person who was operating the excavator. He was identified as a 32-year-old Sri Lankan national.

The police said they will be disclosing additional details as the investigation progresses.

They have not said if they are treating Ameen’s death as accidental or deliberate.

The tragic death has sparked public discourse over expatriate workers, especially laborers.