Maldives’ Biggest Drugs Haul Was Destroyed, Say Police

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The 1.6 ton stash of cannabis found on the Maldivian seabed two years ago was destroyed in the months following the find, police have said in response to comments from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Police said the country’s biggest drugs haul – composed of 1,697 plastic bags of narcotics found by lobster catchers in a lagoon near Alif Alif atoll – were burned in front of the media and police officers on eight separate occasions.

One packet of hashish is being kept for use as evidence in any trial, although police have not arrested anyone in connection with the case.

The move follows questions raised by the MDP at a campaign event this week.

Presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) said drugs were imported “with the government’s knowledge” and he had heard complaints that confiscated drugs, such as the 2006 haul, are sold on.

Police media coordinator Sergeant Shiyam said some of the packets were destroyed in Dhoonidhoo island in the presence of police officers and the media. Others were burned in larger quantities at Hulhumalé.

Media were invited to all the sessions, Shiyam says, which were held on 21 June, 26 June, 28 June, 1 July, 8 July, 15 July, 5 August and 2 September 2006.

According to local media reports at the time, 21 out of 1600 kilos were burnt on 26 June 2006.

The police statement said presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed had “given misinformation”. They “requested people not to spread rumours” about the police service.

“Confiscated drugs in the Maldives are labelled by a special committee and they are securely held. After they are confiscated, under special supervision they are weighed and they are destroyed,” the statement says.

The cannabis was found in April 2006 by locals diving for lobsters in shallow waters. Shiyam says the case is still open, and that earlier investigation found the “packaging was from a European country”.

The government has faced criticism for a lack of action in dealing with the drugs trade, as well as allegations of complicity.

Concerns have been repeatedly raised by members of the public and groups such as Society for Woman Against Drugs (SWAD) over drugs returning to the streets after arrests.

At the time of the haul two years ago, the MDP called for an independent body to oversee the drugs’ destruction.

They released a statement saying the “police hierarchy had become millionaires from the drugs trade”.

The country’s second biggest drugs haul was made in April this year, when 13.6 kilograms of heroin was found in the capital, Malé. Police said they had arrested six suspects but, unlike in other cases, did not reveal names.

In 1997, three Maldivians were found to have orchestrated an attempt to smuggle in 1,372 grams of hashish oil in seven professionally packed cans of corned beef while they were about to board a flight to Malé from Trivandrum Airport in India.