Drug offenses continue to rise, with more than 2,100 cases recorded so far this year

Reported drug-related cases have continued to rise year-on-year, with the number recorded so far this year already exceeding 2,100.

Statistics published on the Maldives Police Service website show that drug-related offences account for 20.8 percent of the 10,258 cases reported so far this year, with a total of 2,132 such cases recorded.

The number of drug-related cases reported this year has already exceeded the figures recorded in previous years. Last year, 2,066 cases were reported. The figures for the preceding years are as follows:

2024: 2,132 cases

2023: 2,066 cases

2022: 1,670 cases

2021: 1,752 cases

2020: 1,420 cases

2019: 1,447 cases

Meanwhile, the total number of cases reported to police across all categories has remained above 12,000 over the past three years. Theft continues to be the most frequently reported offence, followed by traffic accidents and drug-related cases.

Of the 10,258 cases recorded so far this year, 2,830 involve theft, while 2,462 are related to accidents.

In January, the National Drug Agency (NDA) revealed that the Maldives, with a population of approximately half a million, has more than 10,000 drug users.

While the NDA, which is responsible for providing treatment to people struggling with addiction, disclosed these figures, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan said last month that the country's current drug rehabilitation efforts were insufficient.

As part of efforts to address the drug problem, the government strengthened the Drugs Act last year. Under the amendments, the death penalty may be sought against individuals attempting to import or export specified types of narcotics into or out of the Maldives when the quantities exceed prescribed limits.