Man Arrested on Suspicion of Possessing Child Pornography

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, police have confirmed last Thursday.

The Maldives Police Service said Ali Najih Ahmed, of Hulevi, Baa Atoll Kudarikilu, was taken into custody on 13 February in connection with allegations that he uploaded images and videos depicting children in pornographic images to Google Drive and stored similar material on multiple electronic devices.

Police presented the suspect before court to determine his remand status, where he was initially held in custody for five days. When he was brought back before the court last Thursady, the court extended his detention by a further seven days. His current remand period is due to expire on 26 February.

The case is under investigation by the Family and Child Protection Department of the Maldives Police Service.

Police stated that they treat offences involving the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material as serious crimes and prioritise their investigation.