Pakistani Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment For Drug Smuggling in Maldives

A Pakistani national has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Maldivian court for smuggling more than five kilogrammes of drugs into the Maldives by air.

Abdul Latheef Baloch was sentenced last Monday by the Criminal Court after being found guilty of drug trafficking. He was also fined MVR 2 million, which the court ordered him to pay within 12 months.

According to the judgement by the court, Baloch was arrested on 12 March 2024 after arriving in the Maldives on a Qatar Airways flight. Judge Ibrahim Ihsan stated that, under Maldivian law, the life sentence equates to a prison term of 23 years and 20 days.

The court heard that Baloch entered the Red Channel at customs to declare goods upon arrival. While he initially presented only one piece of luggage, customs officers later discovered that a second bag had been checked in under his name. When Baloch went to the baggage belt to retrieve the additional luggage, the bag was examined and x-rayed.

Customs officers found two packages containing the drug dimorphine inside the luggage. The total weight of the drugs exceeded five kilograms.

Baloch pleaded not guilty to the charges, telling the court that he had checked in only one bag and that the luggage containing the drugs did not belong to him. However, documents provided by Qatar Airways showed that two pieces of luggage had been checked in under his name.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Ihsan said the substantial fine was imposed because the court believed Baloch may have smuggled drugs into the Maldives on more than one occasion.

The judge referred to an earlier incident in January 2023, in which a piece of luggage checked in under Baloch’s name reportedly went missing at the airport. The bag was never recovered, and Baloch was released at the time, according to police.

Police have alleged that the smuggling operation involved the participation of airport employees and noted a lack of CCTV coverage in key areas of the airport. However, no further arrests have been made in connection with the case.