A state of the art body scanning machine has been installed at Maafushi Prison, with screening of items brought into the facility beginning last night.
Maldives Correctional Service said Home Minister Ali Ihusan inaugurated the scanner, and said it was the first such machine to be installed at Maafushi Prison.
“This is the latest body scanning machine installed to strengthen security and the first such machine installed in Maafushi Prison,” the agency said in a post, adding that the equipment was procured by the government through the Home Ministry.
In his Presidential Address at the opening of Parliament on February 5, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced that a modern body scanner had been brought to Maafushi Prison to curb the smuggling of prohibited items. He said the machine would be installed, staff trained and operations launched by April.
The President said the scanner would also help curb scam calls and other illicit activities carried out from inside prisons.
Millions are lost each year to phone scams in the Maldives, with many calls believed to originate from inmates. In December, the Home Ministry introduced a reporting mechanism after identifying cases of prisoners contacting members of the public to carry out illegal activities.
Such calls can be reported through the Correctional Service’s website on one.gov.mv, a digital platform linking government agencies.
