Former immigration controller Mohamed Shamaan Waheed was arrested late on Friday night over an alleged bribe of MVR 530,000 (US$ 34,370) to release a detained migrant worker.

Shamaan was sacked on the previous night following the arrest of three Immigration officers on suspicion of abusing their authority for illicit gain by raiding a migrant worker residence and detaining foreigners with a large amount of cash.

“One day later, under orders from the then-Controller General of Immigration, a foreign national who had been taken to immigration detention with MVR 530,000 was released from detention during late night hours, the investigation found,” the police revealed. 

The immigration officials – who were not members of the Task Force or Risk Management Section that typically locates and detains undocumented migrants – “met with the released foreign national on the street, obtained money from him, and then entered the residence of Mohamed Shamaan Waheed,” the police said.

Prior to his arrest, the police searched Shamaan’s residence and seized “a large amount of cash and electronic devices.” Mobile phones and other devices of five suspects have been seized with court warrants for the ongoing investigation, according to the police. 

On Saturday, the criminal court detained Shamaan for 15 days. Shorter remand periods were ordered for the three accomplices. 

According to Mihaaru, two of the Immigration officers involved in the suspected extortion scheme transported the released foreign national on a department vehicle, released him on the street and then went to Shamaan’s residence to hand over the cash. 

Since the government launched an operation to collect biometric data of migrant workers in May last year, the Immigration department has been conducting almost daily raids on local businesses, rounding up undocumented workers from cafés, restaurants, shops and beauty salons, and posting dramatic, action-movie style footage of raid operations, featuring officers chasing after Bangladeshis.

Shamaan was meanwhile replaced by former police commissioner Ahmed Faseeh, who became the latest retired police or army officer to take over a state institution or government company.