TikTok Nabeel sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking

The Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced Mohamed Nabeel, known on TikTok as Yaaya Nabeel, to life imprisonment for drug trafficking. The court also imposed a fine of MVR 100,000.

Nabeel and co-defendant Adam Mohamed were charged with trafficking cannabis. Police recovered a total of 395 grams of drugs from their residences during a raid conducted based on a tip-off. Two knives were also found in one of the rooms during the search.

While Nabeel admitted to using drugs, he denied any involvement in trafficking. However, Criminal Court Judge Mohamed Misbah found that the amount of drugs seized met the threshold for trafficking under Maldivian law. The ruling stated that the drugs and other items were in the residence shared by both men and that they were aware of their presence.

Nabeel was sentenced to life imprisonment, which equates to 25 years under Maldivian law. After deducting the time he has already spent in custody, he is to serve 22 years, nine months, and eight days. He has also been ordered to pay the MVR 100,000 fine to the Inland Revenue Authority (IRA) within six months from the date of sentencing.

Nabeel has a prior conviction. In September 2021, he was sentenced to one year in jail for making and possessing a nude card and for posting a video on TikTok that displayed his genitals.