Court orders release of officers in prison drug smuggling

Criminal Court on Tuesday ordered the release of four detainees charged with assisting in the supply of phones and drugs to prisoners.

The police have filed a charge sheet against 13 corrections officers, with five officers facing formal charges in connection with the smuggling operation. 

The five officers charged are:  

The officers face multiple serious allegations, including:  

Everyone except Fathoohu is in custody. The remaining four—Jinnah Abdul Raheem, Ali Hisham, Ali Nazim, and Ali Ashfaq—were ordered released Tuesday by Criminal Court Judge Ismail Shafeeu after their defence team requested bail.  

The defence argued that their clients' detention was unwarranted, pointing to a recent High Court decision that found a previous arrest in the same case to be unlawful.

Citing this ruling, the prosecution did not object to the defence’s request for release, stating that the High Court's precedent applied to the current detainees as well.  

During Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution indicated they no longer believed the officers posed a danger to public safety, which was the original basis for their detention.

With the court satisfied that the risk had diminished, the judge granted their release, subject to any conditions that may be imposed.  

The investigation into the smuggling network first came to light in June, when police disclosed the discovery of a suspicious financial trail linked to corrections officers.

According to police, approximately MVR 73 million was funnelled into the accounts of 18 low-level corrections staff, believed to be proceeds from smuggling operations inside prisons.  

Authorities revealed that the funds were deposited into both the officers' accounts and those of prisoners and their associates. The operation allegedly involved the illegal introduction of phones and narcotics into prison facilities.