A crew member died after a landing craft capsized near the Malé commercial harbour. Masood Hossain, 32, a Bangladeshi national, was caught inside when the vessel turned over in the early hours of Sunday. He was rescued by the Coast Guard but died while undergoing treatment. According to the police, there were 14 people on board, six of whom required treatment after they were rescued. A 25-year-old Maldivian man was in a critical condition after sustaining serious injuries. It was the third fatal accident at sea since June. Three people were killed after a 100-foot landing craft capsized on October 15.
Victory Day celebrations planned by the MNDF include a mass congregation for dawn prayers at the Islamic centre in Malé, a flag-hoisting and guard-mounting ceremony at the November 3 memorial monument, and a military parade at the Republic Square at 4:15pm. A military photo exhibition will be open to the public over the next weekend along with a children's evening on Saturday.
A police constable is facing charges over the alleged smuggling of drugs into a custodial centre in Addu City's Hithadhoo. Mohamed Nauf Mohamed, 25, was arrested on September 4 based on a tip-off. He was detained for 15 days and suspended without pay after drugs were found in his possession. The case has since been forwarded for prosecution, police informed the media.
A police constable was among four men and three women arrested for alcohol consumption at a guesthouse in Thulusdhoo on October 17. All seven were released after they tested negative for drugs. Constable Aminath Maya Hussain Basheer was suspended and the police disciplinary board has recommended her dismissal, police told the media on Sunday.
The criminal court ordered the pre-trial detention of four men arrested over the theft of a Bank of Maldives suitcase with US$ 130,000 in cash from the Velana International Airport. The money had been intended for distribution to Maldivian travellers who purchased dollars from the bank ahead of their flights. It was stolen after masked robbers threatened two bank employees at knifepoint at the walkway connecting the old and new terminals. They fled on a speedboat after threatening and pepper-spraying aviation security officers. The four men were arrested in Kaafu Huraa, an island 30 minutes from Malé. On Sunday, the court approved their detention for trial upon the expiry of their five-day remand period, police revealed.
All nine suspects arrested over the theft of two 40-foot containers with 13.6 million cigarettes from the Hulhumalé port have been detained for trial, police told the media. They include two prominent businessmen, Ahmed Arif 'Aattey' and Mohamed Waheed 'Dhigali,' who are accused of funding the elaborate heist.
