Man sentenced to 100 years for cultivating cannabis plants

The Criminal Court has sentenced a man to a total of 100 years in prison after finding him guilty of cultivating cannabis plants in Malé.

The case relates to an incident reported on 13 May 2023, when police received information from the public about a cannabis plant at the entrance of a house on Banafsa Magu. Police attended the scene and met Ahmed Yasih, of Nishan, N. Kendhikulhudhoo, who stated that the plant belonged to him and that similar plants were kept on the balcony of his apartment. Police searched the premises with his consent.

Following laboratory analysis, police confirmed that four plants found on the balcony, two plants found inside a room, and one plant located outside on the street were cannabis plants. Ahmed Yasih was charged with drug manufacturing. He denied the charges during trial.

Delivering the verdict on the 31st of last month, Judge Ibrahim Ihsan ruled that the prosecution had proven the offence. The court noted that cannabis is not commonly cultivated in the Maldives and that other controlled substances were also found in the apartment. The court further stated that the accused failed to explain how the plants were obtained or why they were grown, and concluded that the plants had been cultivated by him.

In addition to drug manufacturing, Ahmed Yasih was also charged with trafficking cannabis and dimorphine. He was convicted on all charges.

The court sentenced him to 25 years’ imprisonment for each of the four offences, amounting to a total of 100 years. He was also fined MVR 400,000 and ordered to pay the fine within 12 months.