Bangladeshi Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking in Maldives

A Bangladeshi national has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of trafficking drugs into the Maldives, according to a ruling by the Criminal Court.

The court said that MD Sobah Mia was arrested on 28 June 2024 at Velana International Airport after arriving on a US-Bangla Airlines flight. Customs officials discovered more than 500 grams of drugs concealed in a laptop bag inside his luggage during a scan.

According to the court ruling, Mia denied the charges during the trial. He claimed that the laptop bag had been given to him by another Bangladeshi man, identified as Mohamed Naseer, and said he was unaware that it contained drugs. Mia told the court that he had checked the bag beforehand and found it empty.

Mia also stated that his urine test returned positive for drugs because of medication he had taken for stomach pain.

However, the court said Mia was unable to substantiate his claims or provide sufficient information about the individual he alleged had handed him the bag.

After reviewing the evidence presented by prosecutors, the Criminal Court found Mia guilty of drug trafficking.

The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment, equivalent to 25 years under Maldivian law, and ordered him to pay a fine of MVR 100,000 within one year.