Fuvahmulah drug network: Man sentenced to 75 years in prison for trafficking

Criminal Court, on Tuesday, has sentenced a man to 75 years in prison on drug trafficking charges following his arrest during a counter-narcotics operation conducted by the Police targeting drug networks in Fuvahmulah City.

The defendant has been identified as Abdul Basith, 28, Gasdhoshuge, Dhoodigan. Fuvahmulah City.

According to the Police, Basith was arrested during a special operation in 2024 against networks engaged in trafficking drugs into Fuvahmulah, as well as the laundering of illicit proceeds generated from these activities.

Basith was arrested on April 27, 2024. A substantial amount of drugs was discovered in his residence during a search following his arrest.

The Police further stated that 174 individuals connected to two major drug trafficking networks operating on a wide scale in Fuvahmulah City were arrested over the course of this operation. Authorities investigated 188 cases involving these individuals, with 78 of them already submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution.

The investigation uncovered significant financial transactions linked to key members of the two networks, who are suspected of large-scale drug distribution and money laundering. More than MVR 33 million and over USD 19,000 were found to have been transferred through bank accounts registered under Basith’s name. Police confirmed that these funds were proceeds from illegal drug activities.

Basith was sentenced to 75 years in prison and fined MVR 300,000.

Last February, Minister of Home Affairs Ali Ihusaan stated that police operations carried out throughout 2024 had successfully dismantled the drug networks in Fuvahmulah City. He added that narcotics worth approximately MVR 1.2 billion were seized during the year, and significant steps had been taken to shut down cross-border drug smuggling routes.