PG says probe into expat drug traffickers with no local link unwarranted
"We rather prefer to spend those funds on a local and see if the Maldivian can be rehabilitated and helped".
By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
Prosecutor General (PG) Hussain Shameem on Sunday responded to criticism of a set of new regulation that allows foreigners to be deported after seizing drugs they are caught carrying, saying there is not much need to investigate cases where foreigners are trying to smuggle drugs into the Maldives if a Maldivian is not of interest.
Under 'Regulations on how to deal with foreigners who come to the Maldives by air in case they are suspected to be trying to smuggle drugs into the Maldives', drugs worth MVR 6.5 million was seized from the luggage of a person who arrived via Doha, Qatar, on May 6, and the person was deported without allowing entrance into the country.
Authorities have come under fire from lawmakers, lawyers and the general public over the issue. A member had also raised the issue in parliament demanding amendments to the law, which was published on January 26.
Speaking at a press conference held at the PG Office on Sunday, Shameem spoke about the government's handling of the case of a foreign national who smuggled drugs:
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Being in the Maldives is only a right for Maldivians; it's not the right of foreigners
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Only immigration controller can allow anyone to stay in the country; it's not even questionable
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If the interest of a local is not involved in the case, there is no need to arrest the foreigner and take action
Shameem said there was not much point in keeping the foreigners detained at the cost of the state and keep them in the country "unless they are involved in certain kinds of crimes". He believes that it is not necessary for the state to punish foreigners who come in this way at the cost of the state because, according to the PG, violates the "philosophy of punishment".
"The purpose of punishment is rehabilitation. The purpose of punishment is to save the society. The purpose of punishment is to show that people are punished if they have committed a crime. Two of these three things have not been achieved by putting a foreigner behind bars. But when you look at the entire philosophy of punishment, it's not very consistent at times," Shameem said.
"For example, it is not in our interest to reform and rehabilitate [a foreigner] into society. We rather prefer to spend those funds on a local and see if the Maldivian can be rehabilitated and helped".
"For example, some foreigners are bringing drugs in the possession of transit passengers, but the drugs are brought by foreigners coming to the Maldives. If we detained the person even if there was no Maldivian link, there will not be much interest in investigating the matter. There is a need to spend the money on something else rather than that," the PG said.
