Man jailed for 50 years after airport search finds drugs duct-taped to his body

A man has been arrested and sentenced to jail for attempting to smuggle a large quantity of drugs duct-taped to his body. The Criminal Court sentenced Abdulla Faseeh, Haveeree-ge/Sh. Noomaraa, to 50 years in prison and a fine of MVR 200,000 on two separate trafficking charges.

The case concerns an incident on October 7, 2024, when Faseeh was preparing to board a flight from Velana International Airport to GA. Kooddoo. During a body search, officers discovered drugs taped to his legs. According to the judgment delivered by Criminal Court Judge Ali Nadeem on Thursday, Faseeh was convicted on two counts under the Narcotics Act.

The first charge was trafficking diamorphine. The court found 23.5976 grams of diamorphine under the tape and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of MVR 100,000. After deducting the seven months and 27 days he spent in custody, the remaining sentence amounts to 24 years, four months and three days.

The second charge was cannabis trafficking. The court noted that 10 film bottles containing 252.1652 grams of cannabis were recovered, and sentenced him to life imprisonment and another MVR 100,000 fine.

The total MVR 200,000 in fines must be paid to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within 12 months of the judgment.

During trial, the defence argued that Faseeh was a victim of human trafficking and had been forced into the act. However, the court noted that no evidence was submitted to support the claim, and that Faseeh remained silent during the investigation. The court concluded that the prosecution had proven all material elements of both offences beyond reasonable doubt, and convicted him on both counts.