Maldives Police Service has declared that it is unlikely that Aminath Shima Nafiz, 19, disappeared due to the actions of another person.
Shima Nafiz drifted away in the sea after the dinghy she was traveling in with an additional man capsized in choppy waters between Kadhdhoo and Maamendhoo island of Gaaf Alif atoll. Upon falling overboard, the man identified as Ibrahim Fazeel swam to nearby Six Senses Resort and sought help. The police received reports of the incident around 9.30pm on the night of 22nd February 2019.
Both the police and public had carried out search efforts, with search teams canvassing both land and sea in vain. Divers and dive robots were deployed during search efforts, however, neither Shima nor the dinghy they traveled in were located.
While several accounts of Shima's disappearance have been circulating on social media, the police on Monday afternoon spoke to the media for the first time since Shima's disappearance. They briefed their investigation, and Division Command Head, Assistant Commissioner Abdulla Fairooz said the police investigation does not support the claims that Shima was taken to an isolated location where heinous actions were committed against the girl.
Fairooz stated that it is highly unlikely that Shima boarded the vessel against her will, and it is an established fact that Fazeel is a close friend of both Shima and her family. While some CCTV footage had captured Shima and Fazeel on their way to depart from Kadhdhoo island, the footage does not support the claim that Fazeel forced Shima to board the vessel with him.
"However, we have identified some suspicious actions in the incident of Shima's disappearance", said Fairooz.
Fairooz said the recordings of the interview given to the police by prime suspect Fazeel were sent abroad and analyzed by a foreign expert team which included Maldivian professor Dr. Hassan Ugail. A behavioral analysis was conducted on the recording and a report was issued based on the teams's findings, revealed the police.
While Maldives Police Service is equipped with a lie detector, it could not be utilized in the investigation of the case due to a malfunction that prevented the detector from being properly calibrated, revealed Fairooz.
During the press conference held two months after Shima went missing, Fairooz further revealed that Shima had corresponded via Facebook Messenger, therefore, the police have requested the assistance of a foreign investigative authority to acquire the information from Facebook.
The police revealed that they have not ceased their efforts in locating Shima, and two uninhabited islands were searched on Monday after the police received reports from the public that Shima's body was burnt in an uninhabited island in Gaaf Alif atoll. Neither Shima's bag nor Fazeel's clothes which would have drifted on the night of the disappearance have been located thus far, and no other leads have been found, said the police.
