Luthfee extradited to Maldives

Abdulla Luthfee – the mastermind behind the terror plot of November 3, 1988 – has been extradited to Maldives from Sri Lanka - where he had been living in hiding for nearly a decade.

Luthfee was brought to Maldives under police escort on Emirates flight EK-653 at approximately 9:30 pm this Tuesday.

The foiled terror plot of November 3, 1988 to overthrow former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration killed 19 Maldivian citizens; eight officers and 11 civilians.

Luthfee was originally issued the death penalty for the crime but his sentence was later commuted to a life sentence.

He went on the run after he was granted medical furlough to travel to Sri Lanka for medical treatment on January 16, 2010, but surrendered to officials at the Maldivian embassy in Colombo on May 1 amid security sweeps in the country following the Easter bombings on April 21.