Man jailed for 26 years for aiding in smuggling one kilo of drugs

The Criminal Court has sentenced a Maldivian man to a total of 26 years in prison after finding him guilty of four drug-related offences, including aiding in the smuggling of a large quantity of cocaine, cannabis peddling and drug use.

The verdicts in all four cases were delivered last Sunday by Judge Ali Nadeem. The charges were brought against Aalif Waheed, M. Idhala, Malé.

Aiding smuggling cocaine and possession at the airport

The most serious conviction against Aalif concerned his role in facilitating the smuggling of drugs into the Maldives through Nigerian national Emmanuel Johnpaul Okonnachi.

Following a tip-off received by Police Intelligence, authorities conducted an operation at Velana International Airport on April 3, 2024. During the operation, police seized 82 capsules containing a total of 1,257 grams (over 1.2 kg) of cocaine, which Okonnachi had ingested to smuggle into the country.

Evidence presented by the police, along with forensic documents, established that Alif had used his personal bank account to pay for Okonnachi’s accommodation at Sheraton Maldives Resort and Palm Inn Guesthouse in K. Guraidhoo. Aalif was also at the airport when Okonnachi arrived, monitoring his movements and providing assistance. The court consequently found that the material and mental elements of aiding the importation of a Schedule 1 narcotic had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Aalif was sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined MVR 75,000 for the offence.

Additionally, when police intercepted and searched Aalif at the airport that day, they discovered 0.3931 grams of cocaine in three rubber packets inside a wallet in his pocket. He was subsequently convicted of using a Schedule 1 narcotic and sentenced to a further three years in prison.

Cannabis found at residence and positive urine test

The remaining two convictions stemmed from a search conducted at Alif’s residence, M. EWT House, on April 12, 2022.

During the search, police found three film canisters containing 9.0499 grams of cannabis on top of a wardrobe. Although the State initially charged him with trafficking cannabis, Alif admitted to being a drug addict and claimed the substances were for personal use. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, the court reclassified the offence as "cannabis peddling" and found him guilty. He was sentenced to five years in prison and fined MVR 15,000. After deducting the time already served in detention, the remaining sentence for this charge stands at four years, five months and 18 days.

On the day of his arrest, Aalif’s urine sample also tested positive for cocaine. He was convicted of using a Schedule 1 narcotic and sentenced to an additional three years in prison.

Rejection of defense arguments

The defense argued that there were discrepancies in the timing of witness testimonies and maintained that the police evidence was based on hearsay. It also questioned the chain of custody of the forensic samples.

However, the judge ruled that minor inconsistencies in witness statements did not undermine the central elements of the case. The court noted that police testimonies, forensic phone reports, bank transfer slips, resort and guesthouse invoices, and laboratory reports collectively established all elements of the offences beyond a reasonable doubt.

With all four charges proven, Aalif was sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison.