72kg drug case dismissed over unpaid court fee

The High Court has expelled Irfan Thagiyyu's 72kg drug smuggling case due to the registration fee not being paid.

The prosecution appealed the case to the High Court due to the Criminal Court's ruling that the crime was not proven against Thagiyyu. 

Thagiyyu, Dheyliaage, S. Hulhudhoo, is accused of being the leader of the group who were intercepted while attempting to smuggle in 72 kg of drugs on a vessel named 'Masjaree-2' in December 2020. Thagiyyu is charged with trafficking diamorphine. The two others charged alongside him are Mohamed Akram, H. Garden Beauty and Ahmed Naseer, Ambugasdhoshuge, Dh. Maaenbudhu.

The cases of the other two individuals have also been appealed at the High Court.

Assistant Registrar of the High Court Mariyam Hurusheedha concluded that the Prosecutor General (PG) office's appeal in regards to the Criminal Court's sentence that Thagiyyu was not guilty of the crime is not to be accepted. She stated afterwards that they had emailed the PG office this month asking them to pay the registration fee.

However, as the fee was not paid during the allotted time, it was decided that the case would not be accepted under the Judicature Act, Article 33 (c), as was referenced and concluded by the registrar.

The PG office said that they had not received the High Court's email.

The PG office said that they had not received any emails regarding the drug case sent by the High Court on the initial day the first email was sent and the day after. 

"We will be reviewing this decision. We believe that this decision needs to be reviewed by the High Court as well," as was said by the PG office.

In January, the Criminal Court acquitted the three, ruling that it is not proven beyond a doubt that the drugs were smuggled on the boat.

The state withdrew charges against seven additional suspects. The Prosecutor General's Office stated that this was because, in light of superior court rulings, there is insufficient evidence to convict the seven.