Police keeping close eye on eight gangs operating in capital

According to the Police there are eight gangs currently operating in the capital city Male that are under close watch.

Speaking on PSM's 'Raajje Miadhu’ program on Tuesday, some police officials spoke about the current level of gang related crimes in Maldives and the efforts being made by the police to keep abreast of it.

Superintendent of Police Ali Arif said there are eight such gangs operating in the city. The eight groups are always under police surveillance for possible fighting or crime, he said.

“We go and keep an eye on them in their territory,” he said.

Even if you look at the information released by the police two years ago about gangs operating in the city, nine groups are always involved in fighting or selling large quantities of drugs or committing some criminal offence.

Arif said the gangs also target children in the city. The purpose is to misuse the legal protection of children and lure them into the groups to commit serious crimes, he said.

To combat gang crime, a separate department has been created within the police, for the first time. The Gang Crime Enforcement Department, which was set up on July 1, has decided to take a number of measures against gangs, he said.

According to him:

“When operational teams and investigative teams start working under one roof, things will become easier,” Arif said.

According to police figures released two years ago, there are 2,600 noted gang members. Police said 60 of them were children.