Suspect arrested with over one kg of drugs claims mental illness

One of the men arrested in Male' for possession of more than one kilogram of drugs has claimed that he suffers from a psychological illness and was exploited to commit crimes in the past when he was produced in court for a remand extension hearing.

The suspects who were arrested in the operation carried out by the Drug Enforcement and Counter-Narcotics Intelligence unit on 5th January are Mohamed Evan Hamid, 23, of Valuthereyge, Gaafu Dhaalu Madaveli, and Mohamed Raaid Ali Asgar, 31, of H. Sakeenaa Manzil, Male'.

Both men were initially produced before the Criminal Court and remanded in custody for seven days.

As his remand period neared completion, Raaid was produced in court again, where his defense said he suffers from a psychological illness and requested his release under house arrest on that basis, also claiming that he had been exploited into committing crimes.

Even so, the court ordered that there are no grounds to release him on house arrest after looking at the documents that were submitted in the case, with him to be detained for 30 days.

The second individual arrested in the case was also ordered by the court to be placed under remand for 30 days.