Indian Tuticorin Police confirmed to local media Mihaaru on Thursday that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who was acquitted in the MVR 1.3 billion embezzlement case of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), was found on a tug boat docked at Tuticorin port in Tamil Nadu.
Indian newspaper Times Now News reported that Adeeb was apprehended by Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers over his foiled attempt to enter India illegally, without any permits or required documents. Authorities stated that the ex-VP was currently being questioned.
Indian government officials confirmed that Adeeb traveled to India posing as a crew member of the tug boat. According to Indian media, the tug boat was inspected at sea following intelligence reports.
Answering a question at a news briefing held by Indian's External Affairs Ministry, Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar stated that they received reports of Adeeb short while ago, adding that a statement will be released after clarifying the situation with Tamilnadu State.
Maldivian government have yet to disclose any information regarding the situation, despite being contacted by the media several times.
According to Maldives Police Service, Adeeb was last summoned during the past week. Following this, he notified the Police that he was travelling to a resort with his family on vacation. Police then set up a meeting for Monday this week, which Adeeb did not attend.
Adeeb was then instructed by an investigative body of Police to be present for questioning at 1400 hrs on Wednesday. Police state that the ex-VP had called and confirmed that he would be in attendance but failed to show up at the meeting, leading to speculations that he had fled the country.
Mihaaru reported that credible sources attest that it has been three days since Adeeb left Maldives. According to captains it will take approximately two to three days to travel to Tuticorin by sea in current weather conditions. The distance between Maldives and the port are about 825 kilometers.
However, it is unclear whether Maldives Police Service is aware of the situation.
Since all charges against the former Vice President were dropped last month, neither the Police nor Maldives Correctional Services were monitoring his activities.
Until recently, Adeeb was under house arrest for contempt of court during a hearing of the case against him over involvement in the blast aboard the presidential speedboat 'Finifenmaa' in 2015.
Authorities granted Adeeb the permission to travel abroad for medical treatment while he was serving this sentence, sending the public into an uproar claiming that the government was giving Adeeb a chance to flee.
After his arrival in Maldives, Adeeb tweeted assurances that he would not evade his responsibilities and that he intended to accept ongoing investigations. Additionally, Adeeb expressed his love for the country. His house arrest sentence was lifted shortly after his return.
Despite the conclusion of his house arrest, Adeeb was under a travel ban as the Supreme Court withheld his passport on June 24, over an appeal submitted to the court by the state regarding the MMPRC embezzlement case.
On June 9, the state submitted an appeal regarding the High Court's decision to overturn Adeeb's eight-year prison sentence over the embezzlement of USD 5 million (MVR 77 million) owed to the state as acquisition costs for Maabinhuraa, Lhaviyani Atoll.
In addition to the Maabinhuraa case, the High Court overturned and ordered a retrial of his 10-year sentence over the 'Finifenmaa' speedboat blast. The Supreme Court also overturned a 10-year sentence over charges of illegal weapons possession.
The Criminal Court decided to send back 12 cases lodged against Adeeb including the two cases which the High Court ordered a retrial for.
Overall, the former vice president escaped a 33-year jail sentence after being acquitted of various charges.
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