Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed has opened a new detention centre in Fuvahmulah during a special ceremony held yesterday (April 6).

The facility – which is established within the premises of Fuvahmulah police station – can hold up to 20 detainees and consists of ten cells.

According to local media Sun Online,Commissioner Waheed said that while the police have the authority to detain persons suspected of crimes, he hoped that the facility would stay vacant most of the time.

He reportedly said that this can only be achieved if all groups work together to prevent crime in the atoll.