Man sentenced to life for smuggling 12 gram of drugs to Filladhoo

HA. Filladhoo Magistrate Court has sentenced a man who smuggled 12 grams of drugs into the island to life in prison, also ordering a fine of MVR 100,000.

The man arrested, and charged with diamorphine trafficking in connection to the case is Adam Naeem, Bashimaage, Filladhoo.

He was charged on suspicions of trafficking drugs into Filladhoo from a cargo boat that arrived at the island on June 23, 2020.

The drugs were discovered from a case of noodle packets and a cigarette packet, inside the case, that he collected from the boat.

Adam Naeem had gone to collect the case with a minor. The minor had collected the case, and handed it over to Adam Naeem, who was on a motorbike, upon which he began to leave.  

When police officers at the scene tried to stop Adam Naeem, who was riding the motorbike, he attempted to flee after throwing away the case. However, they managed to stop him, and the case was searched in his presence during which 6.2314-gram cannabis was discovered from the case. Additionally, a cigarette packet discovered inside the case contained 6.0154 grams of diamorphine.

Adam Naeem had denied the charge against him. In the course of the investigation, he claimed he was a drug user, and the drugs discovered in the case were for personal use.

Nevertheless, laws dictate that if drugs weighing over 4 grams are discovered in the possession of a person, they will be considered for trade purposes.

HA. Muraidhoo Magistrate Court’s Chief Magistrate Hassan Fayal who presided over the case found Adam Naeem guilty based on the testimonies of state witnesses. He was sentenced to life in prison, and fined by MVR 100,000.