A man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison and fined MVR200,000 for attempting to smuggle drugs from Velana International Airport (VIA) to Gaafu Alifu Kooddoo with the drugs taped to his thighs.

Abdullah Faseeh of Haveereege, Shaviyani Noomara, was convicted on two drug-related charges by the Criminal Court.

Faseeh was arrested on October 7, 2024, while travelling to Kooddoo from VIA. A search of his body found a large quantity of drugs concealed under duct tape attached to his thighs.

Criminal Court Judge Ali Nadeem convicted Faseeh of trafficking 23.5g of dimorphine and possessing 252g of cannabis contained in 10 film canisters.

For the dimorphine trafficking charge, the court sentenced Faseeh to life imprisonment and fined him MVR100,000. After deducting the seven months and 27 days he had already spent in custody, he will serve 24 years, four months and three days in prison for the charge.

He was also sentenced to life imprisonment and fined MVR100,000 for possession of the cannabis.

The court imposed a total fine of MVR200,000 for the two charges and ordered Faseeh to pay the fine to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within 12 months of the judgment.

During the trial, the defence argued that Faseeh had been forced to commit the offence and was a victim of human trafficking.

However, the court ruled that the defence had failed to substantiate the claim, noting that no evidence had been presented to support it and that Faseeh had exercised his right to remain silent during the investigation.