Resort worker arrested after swimming to neighboring island 'to purchase cigarettes'

Maldives Police Service, on Monday, stopped a resort worker from Fun Island Resort, who attempted to swim to neighboring Olhuveli Beach & Spa in violation of the ban on travel between resorts and residential island, to purchase cigarettes.

Fun Island Resort is currently used as a quarantine facility to hold inbound passengers to Maldives, all of whom, with the exception of tourists with resort bookings, are required to undergo 14-day quarantine at government designated facilities.

The police received report of a person swimming out of Fun Island Resort at 10:37 pm on Monday.

The resort worker, identified as a 20-year-old Maldivian male, was intercepted by the police from the lagoon of Olhuveli, and placed under arrest for violation of the travel ban.

When questioned by the police, the man said he swam to Olhuveli to purchase cigarettes.

His remand hearing was held in absentia at the Maafushi Magistrate Court this Tuesday. He has been remanded to the custody of the police for 15 days.

Maldives has declared a state of public health emergency, granting the Director General of Public Health the authority to impose special measures to combat the virus.

As one such measure, a ban has been imposed to restrict travel of persons in and out of resorts. Six people have been arrested for violation of the travel ban so far.