Police have arrested four individuals in Male' for drug use, sales and trafficking, and seized drug paraphernalia in their possession.
The four were arrested through an operation conducted last Saturday by the Drug Enforcement Department and Counter Narcotics Intelligence.
The identities of the four suspects have also been released:
- Shivan Ibrahim, 45, M. Pink Light, Male'
- Ahmed Mohamed, 38, Ali Aabaadhu, Th. Thimarafushi
- Azhad Ali Manik, 41, Male'ge-Aage, Th. Thimarafushi
- Aminath Nisa, 41, Villa, Th. Thimarafushi
As part of the operation, police also searched three residences in Male', and seized 111.15g of a substance suspected of being drugs.
The court has placed all four suspects in remand in custody for five days.
As per the court order, urine tests showed Azhad Ali Manik and Ahmed Mohamed positive for AMP, OPI and CAT. A large quantity of drugs, paraphernalia used for packing drugs for trafficking, as well as a sales ledger were also found at the premises from where the two were arrested, the court order reveals.
In the case of Aminath Nisa, two plastic bags and seven rubber packets containing a substance suspected to be drugs were found in the stairwell of her residence, police said in court. Police also said they found a bundle of empty rubber packets of the type used in packing drugs and two empty pipes at the location.
Nisa and Shivan Ibrahim are in a romantic relationship, and the area in their shared residence where the drugs were found leads to the room she was in, police said.
In defence, Nisa claimed in court that there is a cafe' and a godown on the ground floor of the building she lives in, and that people can access the stairwell from these.
The court order further confirms that M. Pink Light is associated with Shivan Ibrahim, adding that drugs were discovered out in the open in a first floor apartment of the building. Further, a large quantity of drugs had been stored in this building, and equipment used to pack drugs were also found there, the court order reads.
Shivan claimed in court that although M. Pink Light is his registered address, he has been living elsewhere on rent for five years now. He further said that the apartment where the drugs were found does not have a front door and can be accessed by anyone. He denied any connection with any of the items seized from the apartment, according to the court order.
