Immigration Conducts First Ever Raid Operation by Female Officers

The first-ever raid operations led by female immigration officers resulted in the detention of 15 female expatriates, according to a statement from Maldives Immigration released on Thursday.

The operations, which took place on May 25th, saw female officers inspecting 14 locations across Male’ and Hulhumale.

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The immigration department released a video of the raid operations, which showed female immigration officers conducting inspections at retail shops in the Male’ area and taking expatriates into custody.

Under the directive of Controller General Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, female officers led the operations, resulting in the detention of 15 expatriates who were found not to meet immigration regulations. These individuals were detained for further interrogation.

The first-ever raid operation by our female officers on May 25, 2024, marks a historic day for Immigration.

Read more: https://t.co/w77tyx3csK@min_mohst@HomeMinistrymv@ShamaanW#MaldivesImmigration #EncforcementComplianceDivision #RaidOperations #WomenEmpowerment pic.twitter.com/aV68y2oLla— Maldives Immigration (@ImmigrationMV) May 30, 2024

The immigration department hailed the operations as a “significant stride towards addressing illegal expatriates and promoting gender equality within law enforcement.”

In the current governance structure, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has the responsibility of addressing illegal expatriates. To tackle this issue comprehensively, a task force named the ‘National Task Force on Combating Illegal Expatriate Operations’ has been established. To date, the task force has conducted 33 operations, identifying and repatriating over 1,700 undocumented expatriates.

The Department said the decision to empower female officers to lead such operations bolsters the department’s operational capabilities and “serves as a notable example of gender inclusivity and equality in the workplace.”