Law on alcohol to be compiled, huge penalties

Minister of Home Affairs, Azleen Ahmed has announced authorities are in the process of compiling a law on alcohol abuse and distribution, with huge penalties to offenders.

Minister Azleen made the announcement during his speech at function in Customs Office this Thursday to celebrate International Customs Day.

In his speech, Minister Azleen said that alcohol being missing from Anti-Narcotics Act was a cause for great concern.

“In the religion of Islam, narcotics isn’t just solid substances. Any intoxicant is haram in Islam.

Therefore, seeing alcohol in a 100 percent Islamic community such as ourselves is unacceptable,” said Azleen.

He said that Customs had confiscated 23,147 bottles of alcohol, but the legal loophole due to omission of alcohol in Anti-Narcotics Act made dealing with the issue difficult.

“The government is currently working on compiling a law specifically to stop alcohol abuse. God willing, we will find a solution after the honorable members of People’s Majlis return from holiday for the next session,” said Azleen.

He said that once the law was passed, people who smuggled in alcohol will be meted out huge penalties.

Azleen said an audit had been conducted on the airport which helped identify loopholes through which people can smuggle in alcohol.

He said that additional audits to identify loopholes will be carried out in seaports, and that huge containers of shipments will not be imported into Maldives without being scanned, in the future.

Minister Azleen did not provide details on the penalties which will be prescribed in the law under compilation, but warned that offenders will be punished with “huge penalties.”