Police yet to recover stolen dollars from airport robbery
The briefcase reportedly contained more than USD 100,000, equivalent to over MVR 1.5 million at the exchange rate of MVR 15.42 per dollar.
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Police have yet to recover the money stolen during the dollar robbery at Velana International Airport (VIA), even as four suspects remain in custody, Atoll Times has learnt.
The robbery occurred at around 4:45 a.m. on Monday when masked men took a Bank of Maldives (BML) briefcase containing foreign currency from the walkway connecting the old and new terminals of the airport. The suspects were arrested later that morning.
According to sources, the suspects were taken into custody in K. Huraa. While police have made progress in the investigation, the stolen money has not been located.
“The money has not been found yet. It is believed the cash was hidden elsewhere before they came to K. Huraa. They were intoxicated at the time of the arrest,” a source said.
The briefcase reportedly contained more than USD 100,000, equivalent to over MVR 1.5 million at the exchange rate of MVR 15.42 per dollar.
When asked about the missing funds, a police media officer told Atoll Times that information will be shared with the media as the investigation progresses.
Witnesses in Huraa reported that the suspects arrived on the island by speedboat at around 7:45 a.m. — more than two hours after the robbery. They were arrested at approximately 10 a.m.
Residents said the suspects did not appear to be carrying a briefcase when they reached the island. “They came here in the speedboat that left the airport. The boat is still in the harbour and under police custody,” a resident said.
The speedboat, which can carry up to 12 passengers, took about 30 minutes to reach Huraa from the airport. It is believed to be operated from K. Guraidhoo.
Police have since released the names of the four arrested, two of whom are from Guraidhoo. According to residents, one of the suspects has family ties to Huraa, which may explain why they travelled to the island after the robbery.
The robbery is believed to have been carefully planned and involved multiple people. The suspects were remanded for five days by the Criminal Court on Tuesday. Their lawyers have raised concerns that they were detained without immediate access to legal counsel.
Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the recovery of the money or further developments in the investigation.
