Maldives drug trafficker parole controversy

Following the controversial parole release of convicted drug trafficker Abdulla Ibrahim, also known as ‘Abucha’, Maldivian authorities re-arrested the kingpin and dismissed all six members of the Parole Board. Minister of Home Affairs Ali Ihusaan stated that an inquiry found the board failed to follow mandatory statutory conditions and procedures during the assessment for conditional release.

Ibrahim, who was serving a 25-year sentence for smuggling nearly 100 kilograms of drugs, had been released on October 1 after serving approximately five to six years. This release violated legal requirements stating convicts must serve at least half of their sentence. The Ministry noted the error resulted from a miscalculation of time served.

In response to the incident and subsequent public backlash, the People’s Majlis Judiciary Committee voted to launch a parliamentary inquiry. The investigation aims to determine how the legal error occurred and whether the Parole Board engaged in improper communications with the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.