Three Suspects in narcotics case face extended detention

Three of the four individuals arrested in Hulhumale’ on 23 September in connection with a large quantity of illegal drugs have been remanded in custody for an additional 30 days, as ordered by the Criminal Court on Thursday.

The suspects include one woman and three men, two of whom are Bangladeshi nationals. During the search of the premises, police seized 24.06 grams of suspected narcotics, 363 pills of a controlled substance weighing 37.6 grams, and over MVR 4,500 in cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales.

Upon their initial arrest, the three men were remanded for 15 days, while the woman was remanded for 10 days. The woman has since been released, as the items found were not linked to her and the evidence against her was deemed insufficient.

The three male suspects were remanded for a further 30 days following the expiry of their initial remand period.

According to the court order, a substantial quantity of illegal drugs was recovered from the room of a 50-year-old Bangladeshi man. His urine tested positive for amphetamines, and he declined to comment during proceedings.

The second Bangladeshi suspect, aged 40, also tested positive for amphetamines. A large number of illegal pills were found in his room. He claimed he was not residing at the property and had visited to rent a room. He also submitted a letter from his sponsor confirming he was in the process of relocating.

However, the court order cited a witness presented by police who stated that the suspect had indeed rented a room at the property.

A canister containing drugs was found in the apartment of the third suspect, a 26-year-old Maldivian man. He told the court the canister was not his and estimated it contained around 12 grams of drugs. He has a prior remand record, and additional drugs were found in other parts of the residence.