Although it is important to make Male', where 41 percent of the population lives, a safe and secure place, it is unfortunate that this is not happening. Theft, drug use and other crimes are increasing day by day. While no strong measures are being taken, crime is increasing at a worrying rate.
Many people are arrested for theft and drug use in Male' every day. The court remands many of them in detention. However, crime is not decreasing. One reason is that most thieves are drug users and they steal to get money to buy drugs. So the problem can only be solved by addressing both issues.
Thieves break into houses and take people's valuables without hesitation. Sometimes by breaking the lock. And other times through windows. The stolen goods are taken to the market area immediately or a few days later. They are often bought by foreigners.
Stealing to buy drugs
Not everyone who uses drugs is a thief. Some are self-employed drug users while some others collect money by begging. However, many people earn money to buy drugs by stealing.
Some drug users take the stolen items to drug "cartels" and "mortgage" them for drugs. Cartels provide drugs until the value of the stolen item is met. The addict gets as many drugs as he wants at different times until the price is reached.
According to police statistics, theft was the most reported crime in the past two months. In April, 285 cases of theft, 36 cases of robbery and 78 cases of vandalism were reported, compared to 244 cases of theft in May. The most reported crime in 2023 was also theft.
Ali Adeeb, who has spent 16 years working against drugs, told Adhadhu that drug users are not treated for their "criminal thinking" during rehabilitation and that it recurs when they return after treatment.
"They grow up knowing that stealing is wrong. But after starting drugs, once they begin to need drugs all the time, they have to steal. So they forget their previous beliefs. It all comes from addiction because you can't be normal without drugs," he said.
Noting that drug use and theft are closely linked, Adeeb said it would be difficult to solve both without addressing them together.
Stolen items sold in the market area, mostly bought by foreigners
Most thieves steal after careful planning. They usually sell the stolen goods in the market area. They take the stolen goods to sell immediately and sometimes two or three days later. Foreigners queue up to buy them almost every day.
Goods near the market area. -- Photo: Leevan Ali Nasir/ Adhadhu
High-security items such as iPhones that have been stolen are sold to electrical stores run by foreigners. These shops buy the stolen expensive items in order to get spare parts at a low price. They remove the display and other spare parts of the iPhones and throw away the rest.
Foreigners, involved in purchasing these items, play a major role in encouraging theft. The issue of undocumented foreigners is another major problem. Those who steal are content as they have a customer base of foreigners to buy the stolen goods.
The Male' city council and police are working to prevent stolen items from being sold in the market area. However, the thieves plan out how to avoid authorities by selling the goods within an hour or two and when they get enough money, the rest is put back in their bags.
Mayor Adam Azim told Adhadhu that the rules stipulate goods to have price tags on them. However, the city council has observed groups who violate the rules and has now requested the Economic Ministry to take action.
"Goods are being sold in some areas without any price tags, which is against the rules. We don't have the authority to close down places. We are informing those who have to be notified. We have also stopped groups from selling things on the street," he said.
Theft can be stopped by solving drug problem
Thieves and drug users are encouraged to continue their crimes when adequate action is not taken against them. It is the enforcement agencies that are reluctant to take action. There is no doubt that the law is not being enforced equally in this country, whether it is by the police or by the courts.
Every day, many cases of theft are reported to the police, but few cases are properly investigated with actions taken immediately. If it is a case reported by the working class people, not much attention is given to the case. The case goes unresolved for years with no progress.
Some people who report thefts only want to recover what they lost. They often do not want to press charges. This is because most people do not want to go to court to testify and spend their time in court. Sometimes we forget the importance of going to court in these cases. When that happens, the offender spends about 15 days in jail before re-entering society.
Azim said law enforcement agencies should enforce the law without making any excuses and that the country has turned into a playground because people are left to do as they please without consequences.
"If safety and security cannot be provided in a country, there will be no peace in it... Our country heading towards destruction because of the weaknesses in enforcing laws," he stated.
It is important for law enforcement agencies to address the drug problem in order to stop theft because the two crimes are linked. Most thieves do it for the purpose of getting drugs. Scammers, working from jail, defraud people of large amounts of money, also to get drugs.
Institutions need to think about the seriousness of this matter. These issues can be solved when all institutions work together. Theft and drug cases are increasing at an unprecedented rate. If we don’t do good research and take strong measures, it is likely that our children and grandchildren will see worse days in this country.
This article was first produced in Dhivehi by Adhadhu's Leevan Ali Nasir.
