The Criminal Court has remanded 13 employees of the Maldives Correctional Service who were arrested for smuggling mobile phones, drugs and prohibited items into jails for convicts.
During the remand hearing, the court ordered 11 of the arrested individuals to remain in custody pending trial. The remaining two were remanded in custody for five days.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday night, Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihsan said an operation was launched in Maafushi Prison in collaboration with the police after prison officers were suspected of smuggling cell phones, drugs and contraband for prisoners. While police arrested 13 corrections personnel in the operation on Thursday night, nine were arrested from Maafushi, two from Kaashidhoo, and one each from Utheemu and Male’.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Shareef told reporters that 18 prison officers are believed to have been involved in the smuggling of prohibited items into the jail. ACP Shareef disclosed that MVR 24 million had been deposited into the account of single prison officer over multiples occasions, and total of MVR 73.6 million had been deposited into the accounts of the officers believed to be involved.
Various measures have been taken against prison officers in the past for aiding in smuggling prohibited items into prisons. However, no special operation had been conducted to track down the officers involved in such activities.
