Man arrested for alleged attempt to smuggle 17 phones into Maafushi Prison

A young man was arrested by the police on Saturday, on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a large quantity of contraband, including 17 smartphones, into the Maafushi Prison.

According to the police, Mohamed Shaheer, 28, Mars, R. Maduvvari, was arrested from near the gates of the Maafushi Prison on Saturday.

He was found with 17 mobile phones, 35 charging cables, 29 joints, one adapter, four scales, a pen drive, and other contraband.

Shaheer was remanded in custody of the police for 15 days when presented before a court.

The police did not provide any further details, but said the case was under further investigation.

The alleged attempt to smuggle phones and other contraband into Maafushi Prison comes after the prison installed a modern body scan machine on February 28, as part of efforts to combat a rise in prison-based phone scams.

The Maldives Correctional Service has also established a mechanism where people can report phone calls originating from the prison.

Back in 2024, the police uncovered a case involving the suspected involvement of at least 18 prison officers in smuggling drugs, phones and other contraband into Maafushi Prison.

The police also traced MVR 73 million in bank transfers to the officers, which investigators believe they received in exchange for smuggling the contraband.