A suspected drug lord, recently released from police arrest following a recommendation from Prosecutor General (PG) Abbas Shareef, is campaigning for the ruling People's National Congress (PNC).

Adhadhu understands that Ali Nadeem, 30, is involved in campaigning for the PNC mayoral candidate for Addu city, Mushrif Ali and other ruling party candidates.

Besides Nadeem, five others were released despite major allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering in the second-largest city.

The suspects

• 30-year-old Ali Nadeem
• 31-year-old Hafiz Fauzee
• 43-year-old Ibrahim Siraj
• 28-year-old Hassan Alfaf
• 23-year-old Ameen Mohamed
• Zahna Ahmed

According to the police, a drug trafficking and money laundering investigation targeting the leading members of this network was launched in March last year, and it was discovered that the network had been operating since 2017.

"Over the past five years, more than MVR 19 million has been circulated in the accounts of four senior members of the network," police said.