Immigration bribery case: One more arrest, identities of arrested revealed

Police have last night arrested one more Immigration staff in relation to the case where a number of Immigration staff are accused of abusing their positions to take undue benefits from expatriate workers.

The arrested officers include former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shammaan Waheed who was dismissed last Thursday night.

Police have now revealed the identities of the Immigration officers who have been arrested.

Police have earlier said that their investigation revealed that MVR 530,000 was taken from an expatriate who had been detained in exchange for his release, with the cash having then been taken to the building where Shammaan resides.

In relation to the case, three persons were initially arrested. These are:

- Mohamed Alsan Ismail, 21, Moonimaage, Th. Buruni

- Ibrahim Ahmed, 37, G. Happyside

- Ahmed Shaheshan, 47, G. Happyside

The following night, Shammaan himself was also arrested.

Police said last night that an additional person has been arrested under a court order in relation to the same case. This person has been identified as:

- Ahmed Lassaan, 40, M. Hazaaree Villa

Bribery allegations against Shammaan rose when the Police investigation brought to light that a group of expatriates with large amounts of cash had been detained after their accommodation was searched.

In an earlier statement, Police said that the operation in question had been conducted by Immigration officers from sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management sections tasked with identifying and detaining expatriates living and working illegally in the Maldives. They said that the operation had been an abuse of power by those involved.

Police said that one of these detainees had been released the following day on orders from then Immigration Controller Shammaan. After this, the Immigration officers involved in the search of expat accommodations had met the expat on the street, and taken from him the MVR 530,000 he had initially been caught with, and taken this to Shammaan's residence.

In relation to the case, Shammaan's wife's phone and passports of two additional individuals have also now been seized.