The criminal court has convicted six men and acquitted four others who were charged over 61kg of drugs found three years ago on a boat docked at Male's T-jetty.
Eleven people were charged in connection with the drug bust, but one of the defendants died while the trial was ongoing. The criminal court's chief judge Adam Mohamed delivered the verdict on June 20.
The six men who were on the 'Irualimas' boat at the time that the police searched the vessel were found guilty of the diamorphine trafficking charge. The other four men had been arrested and charged based on evidence that the police gathered later.
The four were found not guilty because they had not been taken to the boat and shown the drugs and because the prosecution failed to tie the drugs to them.
The four people who were acquitted include Ahmed Wisam, who is alleged by the police to be a drug trafficking kingpin. According to documents submitted by the prosecution, he has smuggled large quantities of drugs into the Maldives with drug networks that operate in Pakistan and Iran.
The six men who were found guilty were sentenced to life imprisonment or 25 years in jail. They were also fined MVR 100,000 to be paid within 12 months.
As they have spent three years, two months and five days in prison, they will have to serve a sentence of 21 years, nine months and five days.
The defendants found guilty:
- Ahmed Shifaz
- Abdulla Sham
- Hussain Sunaz
- Mohamed Maaid
- Mohamed Rishwan Ibrahim
- Saudhulla Rasheed
The defendants who were acquitted:
- Ahmed Wisam
- Mohamed Hameed
- Mohamed Shamin
- Mohamed Maish
