Government reports major drop in gang crime as anti-drug operations reach record scale

The Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusan, has announced a notable reduction in organised criminal activity in the Maldives, stating that gang-related crime has fallen by 23 per cent compared with the previous year. The data was disclosed during an interview with PSM News marking the second anniversary of the current administration, and comes amid a broader restructuring of the country’s internal security and criminal justice framework.

According to the Minister, the decline reflects the administration’s targeted strategy under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who identified gang violence, drug abuse, and illegal immigration as the three most pressing social challenges upon assuming office in November 2023. Ihusan said that earlier legislation had hindered a comprehensive response to gang-related violence, necessitating reforms to streamline enforcement and improve coordination between security agencies.

Central to the government’s approach is the new Prevention of Gang Crimes and Other Dangerous Crimes Act, ratified in May and implemented from 25 August. The Act introduces new legal powers enabling courts to formally designate organised criminal groups as “gangs”. Once designated, all members of such groups become liable to the stronger penalties outlined in the Act. A dedicated investigative unit within the Maldives Police Service has since been established to focus exclusively on gang activity, and officials report that three arrests have already been made under the new framework.

The Minister expressed confidence that the current pace of intervention would continue, adding: “Hopefully we will solve the gang problem to the level of public expectation within the next three years.” He characterised the government’s efforts as both “unprecedented and bold”.

Alongside the measures targeting organised crime, Minister Ihusan highlighted what he described as the most extensive anti-drug operations ever conducted in the Maldives. Addressing the nation on PSM News’ Hafthaa 104 programme, he revealed that the past two years have seen the largest volume of drug seizures in Maldivian history, with confiscated drugs valued at USD 142.7 million on the street.

The Minister said the results stem from intensified efforts to curb the supply of narcotics, crediting the Maldives Police Service and Maldives Customs Service for their work in disrupting trafficking networks. “Without these efforts, our youth and children would be facing far greater risk,” he noted.

He referred to recent nationwide operations against drug-trafficking groups, stating that the President’s decision to amend legislation to allow courts to impose the maximum punishment under Islamic Sharia further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to confronting what he termed the “dangerous drug epidemic”.

While acknowledging that previous governments had undertaken anti-drug initiatives, Ihusan argued that the current administration is the first to deliver “meaningful results in their true sense”. He emphasised that when the government took office, rehabilitation facilities were inadequate to meet national needs. In response, new centres are being developed in Kaashidhoo in Kaafu Atoll, Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll, and Gan in Laamu Atoll as part of a long-term strategy for treatment, recovery, and harm reduction.

“We have commenced efforts in three islands. Once the infrastructure is completed and brought into service, rehabilitation, demand reduction and harm reduction can be carried out as we desire,” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that more than 700 individuals sentenced by the Drug Court had yet to begin court-mandated rehabilitation at the time the administration assumed office. Through the government’s renewed focus, he said, around 350 people of varying ages are now receiving treatment through a remand centre.

Minister Ihusan stressed that the government’s aim is not only to disrupt the drug trade but also to rehabilitate users and those drawn into trafficking networks. He said the current policy package—comprising legislative reform, expanded enforcement capacity, and new rehabilitation infrastructure—represents a coordinated national effort to address both the supply and demand sides of drug dependency.

The Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusan, has announced a notable reduction in organised criminal activity in the Maldives, stating that gang-related crime has fallen by 23 per cent compared with the previous year. The data was disclosed during an interview with PSM News marking the second anniversary of the current administration, and comes amid a broader restructuring of the country’s internal security and criminal justice framework.

According to the Minister, the decline reflects the administration’s targeted strategy under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who identified gang violence, drug abuse, and illegal immigration as the three most pressing social challenges upon assuming office in November 2023. Ihusan said that earlier legislation had hindered a comprehensive response to gang-related violence, necessitating reforms to streamline enforcement and improve coordination between security agencies.

Central to the government’s approach is the new Prevention of Gang Crimes and Other Dangerous Crimes Act, ratified in May and implemented from 25 August. The Act introduces new legal powers enabling courts to formally designate organised criminal groups as “gangs”. Once designated, all members of such groups become liable to the stronger penalties outlined in the Act. A dedicated investigative unit within the Maldives Police Service has since been established to focus exclusively on gang activity, and officials report that three arrests have already been made under the new framework.

The Minister expressed confidence that the current pace of intervention would continue, adding: “Hopefully we will solve the gang problem to the level of public expectation within the next three years.” He characterised the government’s efforts as both “unprecedented and bold”.

Alongside the measures targeting organised crime, Minister Ihusan highlighted what he described as the most extensive anti-drug operations ever conducted in the Maldives. Addressing the nation on PSM News’ Hafthaa 104 programme, he revealed that the past two years have seen the largest volume of drug seizures in Maldivian history, with confiscated drugs valued at USD 142.7 million on the street.

The Minister said the results stem from intensified efforts to curb the supply of narcotics, crediting the Maldives Police Service and Maldives Customs Service for their work in disrupting trafficking networks. “Without these efforts, our youth and children would be facing far greater risk,” he noted.

He referred to recent nationwide operations against drug-trafficking groups, stating that the President’s decision to amend legislation to allow courts to impose the maximum punishment under Islamic Sharia further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to confronting what he termed the “dangerous drug epidemic”.

While acknowledging that previous governments had undertaken anti-drug initiatives, Ihusan argued that the current administration is the first to deliver “meaningful results in their true sense”. He emphasised that when the government took office, rehabilitation facilities were inadequate to meet national needs. In response, new centres are being developed in Kaashidhoo in Kaafu Atoll, Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll, and Gan in Laamu Atoll as part of a long-term strategy for treatment, recovery, and harm reduction.

“We have commenced efforts in three islands. Once the infrastructure is completed and brought into service, rehabilitation, demand reduction and harm reduction can be carried out as we desire,” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that more than 700 individuals sentenced by the Drug Court had yet to begin court-mandated rehabilitation at the time the administration assumed office. Through the government’s renewed focus, he said, around 350 people of varying ages are now receiving treatment through a remand centre.

Minister Ihusan stressed that the government’s aim is not only to disrupt the drug trade but also to rehabilitate users and those drawn into trafficking networks. He said the current policy package—comprising legislative reform, expanded enforcement capacity, and new rehabilitation infrastructure—represents a coordinated national effort to address both the supply and demand sides of drug dependency.