Police confirms MVR 530,000 from expat taken to Shammaan's residence

Police have stated tonight that their investigation has revealed that the MVR 530,000 taken from an expatriate after he was released from detention was taken to the residence of former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shammaan Waheed.

Shammaan was summarily dismissed from his post late last night.

Police said tonight that their investigation received information that some Immigration staff had abused their positions to search an expatriate accommodation, taking the expats into detention and seizing the cash found on them.

Police said that this operation was conducted by staff of sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management sections which hold the responsibility of finding and detaining expatriates living and working illegally in the country. Police said that the staff involved had abused their positions in carrying out this operation.

Police said that one of the expatriates from among these, taken into detention with MVR 530,000, was released in the late hours of the following night on the orders of then Immigration Controller Shammaan. They said that the Immigration staff involved in the search of the expatriate accommodation had met the released expatriate on the street later, and taken the money to the building Shammaan resides in.

Police said tonight that in a search conducted at Shammaan's residence, they had seized 'a large amount of cash' and electronic devices. Three persons had also been detained under a court order, they said.

In relation to this case, five persons were stopped and searched, and electronic devices from them have been seized, Police said.

It has been learned that Shammaan, who was appointed on November 19, 2023, soon after this administration came to office, was dismissed last night due to receiving evidence that he had accepted bribery.

Police have not yet disclosed the amount of cash seized from Shammaan's residence.

After Shammaan's dismissal, former Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh was appointed as Controller General of Immigration last night.