The High Court on Monday ordered to shift a group of people charged with smuggling over nine kilograms of drugs into the Maldives from house arrest to police custody.
It remains unclear when they had smuggled the drugs or when they were arrested. The Criminal Court had previously ordered to hold some of them under house arrest, but the High Court overturned the verdict following a state appeal, ordering to shift three of the individuals under house arrest to police custody.
Out of the three, one had gone to the main airport to receive the box containing the drugs, the second is said to have seized the drugs from the first, while the third person had allegedly paid the smugglers.
The High Court’s verdict cited the Supreme Court’s ruling that drug smuggling is a major and dangerous crime, stating that releasing people under such serious charges poses danger to the community. The verdict added that there is enough evidence to view the three of them as suspects in the crime.
Under the court verdict, the three individuals are to be remanded by Police for a period of 15 days.
The state is also appealing at the High Court to overturn the house arrest order of the person said to have been in charge of the smuggling operation.
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