Four arrested over ‘terror plot’

Four men were arrested on Monday during a series of police raids in Male over an intelligence tip off over a suspected terror plot, according to court documents and local media reports.

Dozens of masked police stormed the offices of Attic International Pvt Ltd and two other residences in Machangoalhi ward of the capital on Monday night, arrested four young men and confiscated documents and other items, according to local media.

The warrant authorising the raid at Attic’s offices said the police had learned of a “plot to put national security at risk”.

The police declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.

A spokesman refused to confirm if the arrests were connected to the brutal killing of blogger Yameen Rasheed on Sunday. His body was found with multiple stab wounds in the stairway of his apartment building, and he died at the hospital shortly afterwards.

Security was tightened in Male in the wake of his murder.

“Additional police officers will be active in patrolling Male’ from tonight onwards. During this operation, officers will question, search and collect samples from people,” the police said in a Twitter post.

No arrests have been made over Yameen’s murder yet.

A credible source has named the four who were arrested as Iuthisam Mohamed Saeed, Mohamed Hammad, Mohamed Thasleem and Nasiu Mohamed.

An eyewitness told opposition-aligned broadcaster Raajje TV that special operations police had knocked the door to Attic’s offices off its hinges, and taken documents and fishing rods from the premises as evidence, and arrested his son and three others who were inside the office at the time. Raajje TV did not name the eye witness.

Another unnamed eyewitness told Sun Online that police confiscated a black cylindrical object from the office.