Sri Lankan convicted of smuggling asks High Court to return two kilograms of seized gold

A Sri Lankan national has asked the High Court to return two kilograms of gold that were seized after he attempted to smuggle the items into Maldives.

The case concerns gold confiscated from a Sri Lankan man who was travelling to Sri Lanka via Maldives from Dubai in 2023. The prosecution charged the suspect, identified as Sri Lankan citizen Mohamed Sulaimhan, with smuggling goods into Maldives.

He was sentenced to one year in prison in October last year, and the court ordered the state to take possession of the gold.

The case is now on appeal at the High Court. The appellant, who is married to a Maldivian, has raised five main points in his appeal.

He argues that he pleaded guilty without the elements of the offence being properly established, that the chain of custody was not maintained, and that the conclusion regarding the gold was flawed as it could not be refined in Maldives.

He also contends that he had no prior criminal record and was treated differently from others detained in similar cases.

The appeal hearings began at the High Court with the participation of the appellant’s lawyer and a state representative. On Tuesday, the bench announced that a further hearing would be scheduled.

The appellant has asked the High Court to release him and order the return of the seized gold within seven days.