A man caught at Velana International Airport with diamorphine and cannabis taped to his thighs while preparing to travel to Kooddoo has been sentenced to a total of 50 years in prison.
The Criminal Court convicted Abdulla Faseeh, of Haveereege, Sh. Noomara, on two separate drug trafficking charges and also ordered him to pay MVR 200,000 in fines.
Faseeh was arrested on October 7, 2024, while preparing to board a domestic flight from Velana International Airport to Kooddoo in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.
A body search conducted at the airport uncovered packages concealed beneath duct tape wrapped around his thighs.
Authorities recovered 23.5 grams of diamorphine as well as 252 grams of cannabis packed inside 10 film canisters.
Criminal Court Judge Ali Nadeem found Faseeh guilty of trafficking both substances.
For the diamorphine trafficking charge, the court imposed a life sentence and a fine of MVR 100,000.
The verdict states that after accounting for seven months and 27 days Faseeh had already spent in detention during the proceedings, he has 24 years, four months and three days remaining to serve under that sentence.
Faseeh received another life sentence for trafficking cannabis, along with a further MVR 100,000 fine.
The two convictions resulted in a combined prison sentence of 50 years and total fines of MVR 200,000.
The court ordered him to settle the fines with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority within 12 months of the verdict.
Faseeh’s defence sought to challenge his responsibility for the offence by arguing that another person had coerced him into transporting the drugs.
The defence claimed that he was a victim of human trafficking and had committed the offence under pressure from another individual.
However, the court found that no evidence had been submitted to substantiate the claim.
The judgment also noted that Faseeh had exercised his right to remain silent during the investigation. In the absence of supporting evidence for the coercion claim, the court determined that the defence argument could not be afforded sufficient weight.
Drug trafficking carries some of the heaviest criminal penalties imposed by Maldivian courts, with trafficking convictions involving significant quantities of controlled substances potentially resulting in life imprisonment and substantial fines.
The case is the latest involving attempts to transport illicit drugs through the country’s domestic transport network, with authorities maintaining screening and enforcement operations at Velana International Airport and other points of entry and departure.
