Home Minister Imran Indirectly Links India Out Movement With Drug Trafficking

Home Minister Imran Abdulla has made a statement that may be construed as a claim that the "India Out" movement, adopted by opposition leader former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, was linked to the drug trade.

At a ceremony held today to destroy drugs that had been held in police custody, Minister Imran had said that with the 314.82 kg of drugs that were being destroyed today, the Solih administration would have destroyed 1.8 tonnes of drugs in total.

The drugs being destroyed today would have a street value of MVR 1.8 million, said Minister Imran. He said that the supply of drugs has been so drastically diminished with the help and support of neighbour-states.

He had also said that the work being done, under different political slogans, to put a stop to the government's work to rid the Maldives of the disease of drugs was unacceptable and should not be accepted.

Officials of the Solih administration have recently begun characterising the "India Out" movement; which calls for the removal of Indian military personnel and assets from the Maldives and also calls for the disclosure of the classified military treaties signed between India and the Solih government; as an effort to stop the government's cracking down on the drug trade.

Defence Minister Mariya Didi and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had also made similar remarks in the past. No government official has been able to provide any evidence to these claims.