Drug lord re-arrested in Sri Lanka, brought to Male

Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzaq (Safa), a Maldivian drug lord re-arrested in Sri Lanka in Wednesday, has been brought to Male’.

Shafaz was serving a 18-year prison sentence and went missing after being granted permission to leave the country for medical purposes.

Media coordinator at the Ministry of Home Affairs Thazmeel Abdul Samad told Sun Online today that Shafaz was brought to Maldives on a Sri Lankan airlines flight late Wednesday night.

“He was brought to Male’ under police custody late last night. He will be handed over to correctional service soon,” said Home Ministry’s media coordinator.

Shafaz was arrested in Sri Lanka on Wednesday around 4:00 p.m. local time during a special joint operation by the Maldives Police Service and Sri Lankan police.

Shafaz was sentenced in November 2013 for heading a mass drug smuggling operation between 2006 and 2011. Allowed to leave to Sri Lanka for medical purposes in February this year, his three-month leave expired on 5 May.