The two individuals, arrested on suspicion of being leaders of a network conducting large scale drug trafficking and money laundering in Fuvahmulah, has been remanded in custody until the end of trial. 

The two were initially arrested in an operation carried out in December, 2024. The two men have been identified as Ahmed Niushad, of Dhoodigan, Karankaa Villa, Fuvahmulah, and Hassan Azim, of Dhoodigan, Zamaaneege, Fuvahmulah. 

In March, 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office charged them with being part of a criminal organization and money laundering, with which they were remanded until the end of trial. 

However, the court released them last Tuesday. 

Police rearrested them last night, citing risk of evidence tampering. 

A PG Office media official said today that when the two were presented in Criminal Court for their remand hearing, the court ordered that they be held in custody until the trial is concluded. 

While they had been previously arrested, the High Court released them in January last year, after which they were once again rearrested under a new court order. 

PG Office previously said that Azim had led the act and established a drug trafficking network in Fuvahmulah in collusion with Niushad, and proceeded to sell drugs, as found in the police investigation. They had paid salaries to drug dealers, and obtained money through drug sales. They had also maintained records of drugs distributed on credit, the investigation had found. 

The two are charged with being part of a criminal organization. 

Azim is also charged with money laundering based on findings that between July 2019 and August 2024, over MVR 5 million had been deposited in his account by other individuals involved in drug related offences, which he had kept in his possession and used despite suspicions that it was the proceeds of crime. 

Niushad, meanwhile, is charged with money laundering based on findings that between July 2019 and August 2024, over MVR 21 million had been deposited in his account by other individuals involved in drug related offences, which he had kept in his possession and used despite suspicions that it was the proceeds of crime.