Addu Drug Ringleader Abdulla Ibrahim Released on Parole

Abdulla Ibrahim, alleged by police to be one of the top ringleaders trafficking drugs into Addu, has been granted parole and released from prison.

A media official from the Maldives Correctional Service confirmed to MV+ that Abdulla Ibrahim was released on conditional parole on the 1st of this month. Parole allows a convict serving a prison sentence to be released back into the community prior to the completion of their sentence, subject to specific conditions.

While the Parole Board granted Abdulla Ibrahim conditional release after determining he met the criteria under the Parole Act, the official noted that violating any parole terms will result in his immediate return to prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Under the Prisons and Parole Act, inmates serving prison sentences become eligible for parole upon fulfilling specific conditions, including completing a required portion of their sentence, demonstrating good conduct, undergoing rehabilitation, and posing no threat to public safety.

The Prosecutor General’s Office filed two charges against Abdulla Ibrahim, which carried a combined maximum penalty of 50 years imprisonment (25 years for each charge). However, because he entered a guilty plea, the court reduced the penalty by half through a plea deal, sentencing him to a total of 25 years in prison alongside a fine of 100,000 Rufiyaa.

Additionally, after deducting the time he had already spent in pre-trial detention, his remaining sentence was set at 21 years. Under Article 131 of the Prisons and Parole Act, parole eligibility for major drug offenses is calculated based on serving half of the longest single sentence which equals 6.25 years rather than the aggregate total.

Having remained in continuous custody since his initial arrest in October 2020, he completed the required 6.5 years of detention, rendering him legally eligible for conditional release on parole.

Serving one-half of the maximum sentence is required for drug cases involving:

• More than 4 grams of diamorphine (heroin);
• More than 14 grams of cannabis, cannabis mixture, or cannabis resin; or
• More than 1 gram of any other controlled substance.

However, recent amendments to the Drugs Act dictate that individuals convicted of drug importation and trafficking following the legislative changes are no longer eligible for parole.

Abdulla Ibrahim was intercepted at sea during a police operation in Addu in October 2020 while carrying 61 kilograms of diamorphine and 17.97 kilograms of methamphetamine. Seventeen other individuals were arrested alongside him in the operation.

During the intercept, police attempted to stop Abucha as he fled in a dinghy. He dumped sacks containing the narcotics into the sea, but police officers jumped into the water, retrieved the drugs, and apprehended him.

According to previously published police records, Abdulla Ibrahim had been arrested on eight prior occasions in connection with drug offenses. In addition to drug cases, he was also previously arrested in connection with a gang rape case.

When he was arrested in mid-2019 for a separate drug case involving narcotics found in backpacks carried on his shoulders, he was released by the court after denying involvement during trial, claiming he was merely providing boat transport to someone who had asked for help.

On that occasion, his network attempted a tactic where one member claimed sole ownership of the illicit drugs to take the fall and shield the rest of the group from prosecution. During the remand hearing, one individual took full responsibility while all others denied the charges.

The third amendment to the Drugs Act, introducing the death penalty for those convicted of smuggling drugs into the Maldives, came into effect on 6 March. Under the new provisions, the Supreme Court of the Maldives may impose the death penalty if it unanimously determines that the sentence is warranted. The law applies to those trafficking more than 350 grams of cannabis, 250 grams of diamorphine (heroin), or 100 grams of other illicit drugs.

The legislation also removes the previous 25-year maximum prison sentence under the Drugs Act. It amends life sentences to mean imprisonment for the remainder of a convict’s natural life. Life imprisonment without parole now applies to individuals convicted of serious drug offenses, while offenses punishable by life imprisonment or death cannot be reduced, altered, or pardoned. Plea agreements are no longer permitted in such cases.