In response to a Right to Information (RTI) request from Adhadhu in December, police said they do not have a compiled list of gangs operating in the Maldives.
When asked about the number of gangs and the number of active gang members, the police replied that "gangs have not been identified and no such list has been compiled and maintained under the laws."
But it can now be confirmed that the police do have a list of gangs. Speaking on Sangu TV, Deputy Home Minister Mohamed Shaheed said the police had shared the gang statistics with the ministry.
Shaheed said there are 83 gangs currently operating in the Maldives, with 3,600 people involved in gang-related criminal activities. He added that 45 gangs operate in the capital Male'.
He further said police had identified 2,500 gang members in Male' which includes about 85 minors.
Despite police claiming that they do not have a list of gangs, they provided statistics related to gangs in May 2022.
Last year, police had made a chart of gang members with their photos in Addu city. The chart was discovered in the garbage dumped by the police station.
