President Ratifies Amendment to Drugs Act, Introduces Death Penalty for Traffickers

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu ratified an amendment to the Drugs Act today, imposing the death penalty on individuals found guilty of smuggling drugs into the Maldives. 

The amendment, passed by the parliament on 3 December 2025, will come into effect three months from ratification.

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Under the new provisions, the Supreme Court may impose the death penalty if it unanimously decides it 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.

President Muizzu has previously stated that the amendment aims to prevent drug trafficking, reduce drug use, prioritise treatment for addicts, and establish a system to reintegrate them back into society.

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

The amendment introduces stricter enforcement measures, including strengthened powers for law enforcement, updated procedures for asset seizure and confiscation, and enhanced rules for the Drug Court and treatment programmes. Penalties for trafficking, attempting to import or export, or facilitating the movement of Schedule 1 drugs have increased to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines ranging from MVR 75,000 to MVR 7,500,000.

Additional provisions criminalise the provision of services that facilitate drug use, holding property owners or caretakers liable if they allow premises to be used for consumption, and financing the drug trade. Police are also authorised to seize vehicles or vessels used in trafficking and to close establishments supporting drug-related activities.

The amendment stipulates that the death penalty can only be executed if every justice of the Supreme Court, sitting as a full bench, unanimously approves the sentence, reinforcing judicial oversight in capital cases.