Man with links to extremism arrested from Dharavandhoo

Police have made an arrest from B. Dharavandhoo in a crackdown on religious extremism.

Police said on Wednesday night that they have arrested a Maldivian male in an operation in Dharavandhoo. They have not released details.

Sun has been informed police conducted the operations based on intelligence of extremists operating in Dharavandhoo. The suspect arrested has links with religious extremism.

The operation in Dharavandhoo comes after police arrested Abdulla Ali Manik, 49 – who the police believe to be one of the top propagators of extremist ideologies in Maldives - on Tuesday. Abdulla Ali Manik was imprisoned in connection to the violence in HA. Himandhoo back in 2007, for his involvement with a group of separatists who propagated extremist religious ideologies in Himandhoo, and faced off with the security forces armed with wooden bats, sharpened metal rods and machetes.

Police told the court on Wednesday that he is suspected of conspiracy to commit a dangerous terror attack.

Seven more suspects were arrested in a counter-terror operation by security services in Addu City last week.

The crackdown on religious extremism comes in the wake of the IED attack targeting Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed on May 6.

A homemade remote-controlled IED was strapped to motorcycle parked nearby Nasheed’s residence, and was detonated at 08:27 pm on May 6, just as Nasheed, 54, exited his residence and went to get in his car. Nasheed was thrown to the ground and sustained multiple shrapnel wounds, while three members of his security detail and two bystanders sustained minor wounds.

Police have made three arrests in connection to the case and suspect all three of holding extremist views.