Claimed speedboat trip to Ukulhas linked to drugs
The missing person’s family had reported his disappearance to the police on 7 October before anybody had found out the boat had capsized.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Police have reason to believe that the speedboat that had left Male on 6 October was making a drug run when the two men aboard had allegedly headed to AA. Ukulhas, but was later found capsized outside the atoll’s Maalhos.
In the mysterious incident, the speedboat was found capsized on the day after it had reportedly left Male.
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One of them went adrift and was found walking up the shore of AA. Feridhoo’s rocky beachside; he was brought to Male for further treatment at the request of his family after being treated at the Feridhoo Health Centre first.
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The other man, Mohamed Minhaj, 28 of Minha/S.Hithadhoo is still missing.
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Search for the missing person was conducted jointly by MNDF and the coast guard, and the search was concluded on 11 October after having searched a total of 2,000 square nautical miles swept by air and a total area of 665 square nautical miles swept by sea.
Atoll Times verified that neither speedboat claimed to have headed to Ukulhas nor the people onboard were in any way related to the island.
In addition, Atoll Times has also ascertained that police are currently investigating the case as a drug-related case.
"There is a drug link, for sure," a person familiar with the case said anonymously.
Police have not published many details regarding this case, so Atoll Times inquired with the police for updates and a spokesperson for the police said the case is still under investigation. When queried regarding the survivor’s interrogation, the spokesperson said, “As per the existing procedure for such operations, he will also be questioned in the same manner as is the practice in other cases".
Atoll Times has already ascertained that Ukulhas was not the real destination of the capsized speedboat. Among these speculations is the fact that the boat was loaded with far more fuel than was required to make a round trip between Male and Ukulhas.
The missing person’s family had reported his disappearance to the police on 7 October before anybody had found out the boat had capsized. According to Minhaj's family, he had gone missing on 5 October around 1pm, which is 24 hours prior to the time the boat had reportedly left Male taking off from near Marry Brown on Boduthakurufaanu Magu.
Although MNDF had publicised Minhaj’s identity during the search they had conducted, authorities have not provided further information about the incident since the search operation was called off on 11 October.
