A Pakistani man has been sentenced to 23 years in jail for smuggling more than five kilograms of drugs by air.
Abdul Latheef Baloch was arrested on March 12, 2024. He was sentenced to prison on February 9.
Baloch arrived on a Qatar Airways flight. He was questioned by customs officers after he entered the Red Channel to declare goods at customs.
Baloch had only one luggage when he met the customs officers. However, his boarding showed that another piece of luggage had been checked in his name.
The bag containing the drugs was found when searching for the second luggage near the belt. The bag was x-rayed and two packages containing diamorphine were found.
Baloch pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges. He told the court that he had checked only one luggage and the bag in which the drugs were found was not his.
The court clarified this through official records. Documents provided by Qatar Airways showed that two luggage items were checked in his name.
Judge Ibrahim Ihsan sentenced Baloch to 23 years in prison and imposed a fine of MVR 2 million.
The fine was imposed because authorities believe he had smuggled drugs into the Maldives on more than one occasion.
The judge referred to a case that occurred in January 2023, when a luggage brought by Baloch went missing from the airport. Police released him at the time.
Police alleged that the operation was carried out with the participation of airport employees and they highlighted a lack of CCTV coverage in key areas of the airport. However, no further arrests have been made in the case.
