NDA calls for death penalty for drug importers

Chairperson of National Drug Agency (NDA) Lubna Zahir has called for the death penalty for people who bring drugs into the country.

While reports have been going around that a fake version of LSD is in circulation in the Maldives, Lubna said last night that the crime of importing drugs should be categorised at the same level as murder, and that the death penalty should be given for crimes of this degree.

She said that the only way to deter drugs coming into the country is by implementing the death penalty against those who commit this crime.

“We can only prevent drugs from coming into the Maldives by implementing the death penalty against them. Importing drugs is not a less serious crime. One solution to this is to implement the death penalty against those who bring in drugs and commit murder,” said Lubna, who also acts as Minister of State for Health, on Raajje Miadhu program on TVM.

Lubna also called on the parliament, when passing the relevant laws, to include death penalty as the most severe penalty for those who bring drugs into the country.

Death penalty is given for drug-related offences by Singapore, China and Vietnam. A total of 16 countries including these give the death penalty for similar offences.