Heroin on the white sandy beach of Villingili
By Mariyam Mohamed, 26th May 2994
A large
quantity of heroin (popularly know as Brown Sugar in
Maldives) have been washing up on the
shores of Villingili Island near Male' since last
evening. It is reported that there were more than 400
policemen working to collect these bags, including a team of
divers. Customs officers and some residents of the Villingili Island also helped
in collecting the
drugs. Each bag contained several
ready-to-sell small packets of heroin designed to look like
“bullets”. Many of the bullets were being washed up
separately as well.
The Police have not yet given out any specific information
such as the total quantity. However, it is believed that the
value of the drug found so far could be as high as 1 million
Maldivian Rufiyaa (nearly US$ 80,000.00). The police report claimed
that they were informed by the residents of the island.
There is reason to
believe that this shipment could have been dumped by a ship
in the harbour of Male'. However, if the police were not
aware of it, why should they dump a shipment worth thousands
of dollars? Perhaps this question will remain unanswered
like so many others in the Maldives.
One of the key concerns for the locals of Villingilli island
is that the some youngsters were in the area prior to the
arrival of police and there is no telling how many bags of
heroin have been taken away by them. The area was closed off
and heavily guarded once police arrived and began the
collection. Let us just hope that the small dealers did not
get their hands on too much of the shipment which will
result in more drug related crimes and possible emergence of
more drug users.
The scenario indicates that it is a failed smuggling attempt
and it will be difficult to determine who the intended
recipients of heroin shipment was. Police intelligence was,
as usual, non-existent as the Deputy Commissioner admitted
that it was the people who alerted them. This is
one of the main reasons of why the country suffers from such
a severe drug related problems. Crime rate in Male’ has
incresed and the government obviously needs to do more to
protect the people. Obviously, this shipment, which were
ready-made, ready-to-sell pieces, was intend to reach the
streets of Male’ and other islands, to be sold to the ever
growing number of drug users. This should be seen as a wake
up call and a clear evidence of the need for more rigorous
patrolling of the ports of entry to the Maldives, the sea
port at Male’ and the International Airport at Hulhule.
Many Maldivians believe that current government does not
have an efficient program to curb the drug problem
in Maldives. In fact, they
believe that little is being
done about the drug problem in Maldives because Gayyoom
uses
drugs as another of his weapons to stay in power. In the
sense that he uses drugs as a means to cripple the society
at large, to dismantle the youth movement, to destroy the
future generation of the Maldives. He fears that if he keeps the youth of the
country at bay, no one will dare or bother to challenge the
regime.
One of the most clear evidence of the complete disregard for
the problems of drugs until quite recently, until they had
to be seen to be doing something about it, was that it took
more than 20 years for Gayyoom to get a security dog to be
stationed in Male’ International Airport. In addition to
that, it is common knowledge that some very senior public
figures are involved in the trade whilst many are also
regular users.
In an unprecedented move, Gayyoom pardoned just about all
drug users in Maldives jails all at once after the Male’
riots in September last year in which 4 of the “New Youth
Generation” marred in brown sugar (low grade heroin) were
brutally murdered by NSS security guards at Maafushi Jail.
This move has left the residents of the tiny
capital in constant fear eversince. Murders, muggings, robberies
and sexual assaults are common in today’s Male’.
One resident from Male’ said “there are junkies everywhere
these days. All drugged up, they can’t even talk properly.
And when they get withdrawal symptoms, they just mug whoever
is nearby, or break into houses and steal stuff. They even
steal from their own family, their own house. People are
being threatened at knife point and jewellery and money is
demanded and the most horrible thing is that the police are not doing anything about
it.” Recently, a girl’s ear was all cut up with a
stencil knife by a robber and last week, a young drug user was found dead in
a guest house in Male’, over dozed as reported.
“The problem is that the government doesn’t even rehabilitate the
people. They just lock them up for a while and release them
in to the community again. There appears no solution at this
point. I mean the problem could even be reduced quite a bit
if there was any alternative recreation available in the
country” said another resident of Male’.
More than a quarter of the country’s population reside in
the capital Male’. The unbalanced population distribution
and the many socio-economic factors that effect the Maldives
population (60% lives under the poverty line resulting in
broken families) has been the result of the increasing drug
abuse problem. Drug abuse in the Maldives is one of the most
daunting issues facing the people of Male' today. Lack of in-depth understanding of the
problem has been a deciding factor in the inability to
develop a
comprehensive strategy to deal with this problem. More to
the point, the political will and desire seems to be absent
in the minds of the leaders.
No one can argue that there are very few families in the Maldives who have not had
to deal with the drug problem in the Maldives. Mr. Gayyoom's
own brother is one of the most known drug addicts in the
Maldives. The only drug addict who can demand the mode of
transport to the detention centre. It is the
produce of a society of a dictator, who cares
about nothing but to remain in power
no matter what happens to his people.
This is a wake up call to
all Maldivians, it is not just a headline news.
Reference
Rapid
Situation Assessment of Drug abuse in Maldives 2003 – UNDP
and NCB
