Tuesday 03 Mar 2026
Combined photos of (from L-R) Ibrahim Siraj; Hafiz Fauzy; Ali Nadheem (Milo Nadhama); Hassan Alfaaf; and Ameen Mohamed. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) on Monday instructed the police to release alleged drug kingpin Ali Nadheem (Milo Nadhama) and six other people suspected of being senior figures within a large-scale drug trafficking network in Addu City, after investigators were unable to find enough evidence for formal charges.
The suspects – accused of running a large-scale drug operation in Addu and laundering the proceeds -were arrested in December as part of the ongoing drug crackdown, ‘Operation Alimagu’.
They are:
The seven were accused of two main allegations; involvement in a criminal organization and money laundering.
The deadline for the investigation into the case expired on Monday.
In a statement on Monday night, the PGO said that evidence gathered by the police by the deadline proved insufficient for criminal charges.
“An assessment of the evidence gathered by the legally mandated deadline for the investigation shows that the evidence is insufficient to prove the charge of involvement in a criminal organization or money laundering against the suspects as required by the law,” reads the statement.
The PGO said that though it had extended the investigation deadline to the longest allowed by the law, the police had been unable to conduct a proper investigation and find enough evidence.
The PGO said that it has therefore recommended the police to release the suspects from custody, as required under Article 94 (g) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which states that investigative agencies must release suspects from custody if they are unable to find enough evidence for charges within the investigative window.
The agency added that while it is declining the case at this time, it has instructed the police to resubmit the case if it uncovers new evidence.
