Police dismiss allegations that officer was arrested in connection to haul of 10 alcohol bottles

Police have denied reports that one of three men arrested in a Heniveru house last week in possession of 10 bottles of alcohol was a police officer.

Alcohol is banned on inhabited islands in the Maldives.

”[The officer] was arrested while he was inside that house with two others,” claimed a person familiar with the matter. ”He is currently under house arrest, the other two are still in police custody.”

Deputy Head of the Serious and Organised Crime Department (SOC), Inspector Abdulla Nawaz, told the press that three men were arrested inside Aadhage in Henveiru Aadhage, after police discovered eight bottles of alcohol inside a bag in the house and other two more bottles in a second bag.

Six empty alcohol bottles were discovered inside the house, Nawaz said, and a bayonet.

Nawaz did not give further information about the three persons arrested.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that no police officer had been arrested in connection with discovery of the ten bottles and the knife.

”A police officer may have been arrested in an operation conducted,” he said. ”But we can confirm that no police officer was arrested in connection with the alcohol bottles.”