Two suspected drug lords from Fuvahmulah have been re-arrested after their release two weeks ago at the request of Prosecutor General (PG) Abbas Shareef.

Adhadhu understands the suspects were Ahmed Niushad, 34 and Hassan Azim, 29. They are accused of running a drug network and laundering money.

Police said they were re-arrested under a court warrant last night (March 30) for possible influence on witnesses.

Their release came amid the April 4 local council elections and the referendum to merge the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Adhadhu understands that they were freed on the PG Office's request. It is unclear why the PG Office made the request during the election campaign.

The pair were first arrested on December 9, 2024, in a major police operation. The investigation revealed that more than MVR 21 million had been rolled through Niushad’s bank account in the past five years, and more than MVR 7 million had been rolled through Azim’s bank account in the past two years.