A man has died while under police custody.

Adhadhu understands that 48-year-old Ahmed Afrah died in cell number seven of Atholhuvehi detention facility.

He was arrested on August 15 in connection with a drug case. He was ordered to be remanded for 30 days.

The reason for remanding him in custody was that he needed treatment for drug addiction.

Adhadhu understands that police officers found him dead when they opened the cell to detain another person.

Police said an internal inquiry was underway, while the case had also been reported to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and National Integrity Commission (NIC).

Recently, there has been an increase in suspects dying while in police custody.