Roona seeks better treatment in custody as Alya accuses her of grooming and directing the smuggling operation

Alya Sharsa Naseer, arrested in April in connection with the smuggling of a large quantity of drugs, has accused her co‑accused, Aminath Roona, of grooming her and pushing her into the crime.

Alya was first arrested on April 17 after arriving in the Maldives by air. She was detained at Velana International Airport following a customs interception. Later that night, Roona was arrested in Hulhumale' in a joint operation conducted by Drug Enforcement and Counter Narcotics Intelligence.

When both women were produced before the Criminal Court on Saturday for a review of their custody, Alya’s lawyer told the court she was a self‑endangered person due to her mental condition, and that she had met Roona while receiving treatment.

Alya’s side alleged that Roona groomed her, used her to commit crimes, and sent her abroad for that purpose.

Roona’s lawyer told the court she was being held in solitary confinement in a cell without a toilet. He requested that she be provided adequate treatment, saying her mental condition was deteriorating.

Police had previously said Roona was the one directing the smuggling operation.

The initial arrest warrant stated that the provisional weight of the drugs recovered from the two suspects was 1.8 kilograms. However, a later remand order revised the figure to 1.5 kilograms.

Under the Narcotics Act, importing or exporting drugs is a serious offence. Section 104 states that importing or exporting any drug is an offence punishable by life imprisonment and a fine between MVR 100,000 and MVR 10 million.