Three arrested under new stringent anti-gang law

Three people have been arrested and remanded under the new Prevention of Gang and Other Serious Offences Act which came into effect at the end of August.

According to Criminal Court remand orders, two 22-year-old Maldivian men and a 30-year-old Maldivian man were arrested on Thursday. They have been identified as:

• Ibrahim Zaidhan, 22, Ma. Morning View, Male’
• Mohamed Shidhaadh, 22, Bashimaage, L. Maabaidhoo
• Ahmed Navaz, 30, Ma. Morning View, Male’

The remand orders issued separately state police have submitted sufficient evidence to warrant suspicion against the suspects. In this regard, they read that police had submitted incident report, intelligence report, crime scene photos and photos of two knifes seized from the crime scene as evidence.

As per the remand orders, all three suspects, in their defense, claimed that the two knives seized from the scene were concealed in a place that was not obvious to the eyes. However, the court concluded that their defense does not stand, as photo evidence submitted by the Police indicates otherwise.

The Court remanded Zaidhan and Shidhaadh in custody for 15 days and Navaaz for 30 days.

The new Anti-Gang Crime Act, which the Parliament passed on May 15, arms law enforcement agencies with greater powers to curb gang activity, including the power to enter and search private properties and make arrests without a court warrant, and hold arrestees for up to 48 hours while denying for legal representation.

Authorities will also have the power to deny parole to offenders of major crimes, and the legislature also prescribes lengthy prison sentences exceeding 10 years and huge fines for various offenses.

Other key provisions include:

• Judicial identification of gangs and affiliated individuals
• Confiscation of illicit wealth and assets linked to gang activity, serious crime, or illicit enrichment through judicial processes
• Criminalization of financial support to gangs
• Use of controlled deliveries and covert operations to disrupt gang networks
• Preventive measures to protect juveniles from recruitment into gangs
• Monitoring of high-risk individuals, including electronic tagging under the MoniCon Order
• Establishment of a structured system for offender supervision and rehabilitation