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Tuesday 05 Nov 2024
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
(Clockwise from top L) Ahsan Ahmed, Ali Muneez, Mohamed Asir, Ali Arham Mohamed, Abdulla Shareef, Shamah Shareef, Abdulla imad and Ibrahim Looth. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
Prosecutor General’s Office has filed charges eight suspects arrested in a counter-terror operation in Th. Thimarafushi - who stand accused of plotting to blow up the laboratory at a regional school as students sit for their O’ Level exam – at the direction of Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K).
The charges against the eight suspects were filed with the Criminal Court on Monday.
THE SUSPECTS AND THE CHARGES:
Abdulla Shareef - who the police believe to have been appointed as one of IS-K’s emirs - has been pressed with three charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism, possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization, and being a member of a terrorist organization.
Ahmed Mohamed has been pressed with two charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism and possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization.
Ali Arham Mohamed has been pressed with three charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism, possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization, and attempting to go to war.
Abdulla Imad has been pressed with four charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism, possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization, obstruction of justice, and possession of pornographic material.
Ibrahim Looth has been pressed with two charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism, and obstruction of justice.
Shamah Shareef has been pressed with two charges; conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism, and possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization
Ali Muneez has been pressed with three charges; encouraging the commission of an act of terrorism, learning tactics needed to carry out an act of terrorism, and possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist organization.
Mohamed Asir has been pressed with one charge; encouraging the commission of an act of terrorism.
The eight suspects are accused of supporting and encouraging terrorism, supporting terrorist organizations and justifying their actions in the name of religion, and conspiring to carry out acts of terrorism in Maldives at the instructions of Islamic State.
They are accused of preparing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on board ‘Nasah-3’ – a fishing boat operated by extremists in Thimarafushi – and conspiring to detonate the IED and threaten national security. The police have stated they planned to detonate the IED in the laboratory of the Th. Atoll Education Center in Thimarafushi while students are sitting for their O’ Level exams.
They are also accused of travelling to uninhabited islands under the pretense of going on picnics from where they underwent training and learned combat tactics, running classes to propagate extremism in some of the private residences in Thimarafushi, targeting young children to propagate extremist beliefs, refusing to pray behind government-appointed imams and forming separate prayer congregations, and providing financial assistance to people linked with extremists.
