Home Minister Ali Ihusan has said that there will no longer be room in the Maldives for anyone to profit from selling drugs at the expense of the public.

Speaking at the “Ahaa” forum held at Sultan Park last night, the minister said the government has taken a two-pronged approach to tackling the drug problem: providing treatment to those who use drugs and reducing the supply.

According to Ihusan, around 1.3 tonnes of drugs have been taken off the streets of the Maldives in roughly two and a half years, with a street value of MVR 1.5 billion. The minister said this is a record figure compared to the first three years of all previous governments.

Cases involving 24 drug-linked networks are currently being investigated, three of which have been concluded and are now being prosecuted in court. These cases include the seizure of MVR 3.6 million, USD 148,000, and other assets.

Ihusan said the government’s aim is to dismantle the networks that smuggle and trade drugs in the country, and to confiscate the profits and assets gained from the trade. He added that when these cases conclude under the current law, those involved will be jailed and their assets confiscated by the state.