12 year prison sentence for man who pleaded guilty to trafficking

A man has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking, the Criminal Court ruled yesterday.

The sentence was handed down to H. Finifenmaage, Ibrahim Zihunee, following the seizure of drugs from his residence during a police operation in 2020.

Zihunee pleaded guilty to cannabis trafficking and entered into a plea agreement with the state.

Under Maldivian law, the penalty for drug trafficking carries a sentence of life imprisonment or up to 25 years in prison. However, the law allows for a reduced sentence when a defendant pleads guilty under a plea agreement.

The Criminal Court accepted the agreement reached between the prosecution and the defence and sentenced Zihunee accordingly.

In addition to the prison term, the court also imposed a fine of MVR 50,000.