Man jailed for 100 years for growing cannabis and possessing drugs

A man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison and fined MVR 400,000 after being convicted of growing cannabis plants in Male' and possessing drugs.

Police seized cannabis plants in May 2023 after officers discovered a plant near the door of a residence in Male'. Prosecutors told the court that while police were at the scene, the accused, Nishan Ahmed Yasih of Noonu atoll Kendhikuludhoo, approached officers and said the plant belonged to him. He also told police that more cannabis plants were located on the balcony and inside the room of the apartment where he was staying.

According to police testimony, Yasih used a key in his possession to open the apartment and bedroom, where officers found cannabis plants and more than 300g of other drugs in plain sight in various parts of the residence.

The prosecution filed four charges against Yasih.

During the trial, Yasih denied ownership of the plants, describing it as “strange” that the cannabis found in the residence where he was staying was his possessions.

In its ruling issued on 31 December, Criminal Court said cannabis plants do not naturally grow in Maldives. The court noted that Yasih was unable to explain how he had obtained the plants or why they were in his possession, concluding that they had been planted and cultivated by him.

The court sentenced Yasih to 25 years in prison and a fine of MVR 100,000 on each of the four charges, resulting in a total sentence of 100 years.

However, the two years and seven months Yasih spent in custody during the investigation and trial were deducted, reducing the remaining sentence to 98 years.

The judgment also noted that the defence had claimed at various stages that Yasih was unfit to stand trial, but the court did not take the claim into account as no medical assessment was submitted.