Cricket board employee detained in alleged student scam involving Zeed International

An employee of the Maldives Cricket Board (CBM) has been detained for allegedly misusing the board’s office premises in connection with a scam targeting students seeking to study medicine abroad.

According to reports, several students who were offered placements in foreign universities, particularly in the Philippines, were forced to return to the Maldives without starting their courses. It is alleged that a company called Zeed International collected large sums of money from these students under false pretenses, operating from the CBM office.

In a statement, the Cricket Board said its senior management, along with police, received a tip-off on Monday afternoon that unauthorized individuals were entering the building. Upon investigation, they discovered that a foreign national with no official status had accessed the premises, with the assistance of a board employee. The board has since taken disciplinary action against the staff member involved.

Zeed International, registered in 2023, lists Abdullah Imad Ismail, a member of the Cricket Board, as a shareholder, alongside Mohamed Rai Imad and Aiminath Shaheedha.

The agency is accused of charging students USD 40,000 for programs that reportedly cost only USD 10,000. Some of these students were unable to begin their studies and were sent back to the Maldives, raising serious concerns about fraud and exploitation.