Police seek charges over 13 prison officers for smuggling drugs

Police, on Saturday, filed a chargesheet with the Prosecutor General's Office to prosecute 13 officers with the Maldives Correctional Service arrested for allegedly helping inmates smuggle phones and drugs into prison.

Police revealed at a press conference in June that a suspicious MVR 73 million had been deposited in the accounts of 18 low-level corrections officers. The money, which went into the officers’ accounts, was deposited from the accounts of the prisoners and their associates.

Police then launched an operation to arrest those involved and have so far arrested 13 corrections officers.

Police said on Saturday that the investigations into the 13 officers were completed and charges were filed. Police released the names of the officers along with their photos.

The 13 officers charged are:

The operations in this case were launched following intelligence information. So far, six people involved in the case have resigned last year, Home Minister Ali Ihsan said earlier.

According to Ihsan, if any uniformed officer uses his positional influence and privileges to extort money and sell the person’s uniform for money, he will take strict action in such cases.

The minister added that those who deposited money for the corrections officers will also be punished.