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Foreigner fined for smuggling gold by swallowing, gold confiscated by the state

Lamya Abdulla
21 November 2021, MVT 12:10
(FILE) Customs Maldives checking a passenger's luggage in March 5, 2017: Indian man that arrived to Maldives in September had smuggled 605.8g of gold in their body -- Photo: Mihaaru
Lamya Abdulla
21 November 2021, MVT 12:10

Indian man pleads guilty to smuggling gold and other precious metals to Maldives by swallowing it, has been fined him as per the plea bargain agreement he signed confessing to the crime.

Court also ordered to take the gold and other metals he smuggled to the state.

Abdulmanaaf Ayankoli Meethal was arrested shortly after he arrived to Maldives on September 26. The arrest was made after his body and luggage was checked, as it appeared he had concealed something.

Special Operations of Maldives Customs had then taken him to the hospital and a CT scan done there showed that he had "likely material, foreign bodies" hidden in his body. Hospital therefore had monitored his bowel movements, and when his stool was investigated it appeared he had passed four gold bullets weighing 605.8g in total, as well as mixtures of other materials.

Abdulmanaaf was charged of attempting to smuggle materials to Maldives under the Customs Act. If found guilty, a person may receive a jail sentence of six months to upto two years, in addition to being fined from MVR 10,000 to MVR 240,000.

However as Abdulmanaaf had pleaded guilty to the crime and requested for the minimum sentence, he received a fine of MVR 60,000. The state was also ordered to seize the items smuggled by Abdulmanaaf.

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