Security
On 26 September 2026, Immigration made it mandatory for inbound and outbound flights in the Maldives to provide Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, deciding to fine violators MVR 2,000. The government is working to establish an open island prison across an entire island in the Maldives by the end of this year for inmates to engage in work such as agriculture. Police investigations into the unauthorized opening of lockers at the Housing Ministry confirmed that no documents were missing. Following the filing of a report regarding an attack on a Raajje TV crew in Dh. Meedhoo, police desk officers requested that it be submitted on an official working day. The Criminal Court ordered 32-year-old Naushad Moosa to be detained until the end of his trial for repeatedly vandalizing mosques and inciting disorder in Male'. The Criminal Court sentenced Moosa Naafi'u, who confessed to the crime, to 5 months and 27 days in prison for pushing a woman down the stairs of a gym and mugging her. Police are investigating a robbery involving goods seen in a YouTube video. In addition, relevant authorities are also looking into a case of reckless motorcycle driving on Boduthakurufaanu Magu and cases of attacks against police officers.
A special regulation mandating the sharing of passenger information with Maldives Immigration prior to travel was formulated and commenced implementation on 26 September 2026. The main objective of this regulation is to obtain advance information on travelers entering and leaving the Maldives, further strengthening border security and safeguarding national security. Under this policy, relevant parties are now required to provide complete information of all parties arriving in and departing from the Maldives to the relevant system of Immigration prior to the specified time.
An issue involving reckless motorcycle driving on Boduthakurufaanu Magu in Malé has surfaced, and relevant authorities have initiated an investigation. The police are investigating this case as a serious matter, as the motorcycle was operated in a manner that compromised road safety and posed a danger to pedestrians and other vehicles. To prevent such dangerous acts, the relevant authorities appeal to everyone to respect road regulations and cooperate in ensuring public safety.
On September 26, 2026, an incident surfaced where lockers at the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development were opened and important documents contained within them went missing. In this incident, it was observed that lockers stored inside the ministry were accessed in an unknown manner, opened, and documents were removed. Following the disappearance of such sensitive documents from an official government authority, relevant agencies are looking into how the incident occurred and further investigating the matter.
On Saturday, 26 September 2026, a woman was taken into police custody and arrested in a case involving obstructing police duty and assaulting police officers. Following this incident, the relevant authorities took immediate action, arresting the woman and initiating an investigation into the matter. Efforts are currently underway to take the necessary legal measures regarding such violence committed to obstruct law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties.
An issue has come to light where a group obstructed, assaulted, and harassed a Raajje TV crew while they were recording the program "Haalu Kihineh" in Dh. Meedhoo. The incident occurred while Raajje TV's Head of Programs Amir Saleem was conducting an interview, when several individuals arrived, shouted, used profane language, and hit the chair where cameraman Mohamed Anil was sitting with a motorcycle. Following this incident, calls have been made to the government and relevant authorities to establish a safe environment where journalists can work freely without fear, and to take action against the perpetrators. Furthermore, senior political figures have also strongly condemned this uncivilized act that obstructed media freedom.
In this incident that occurred on 26 September 2026, a group robbed expensive goods and a large amount of money seen in a YouTube video. The incident took place when a group deliberately tracked the location and details of the items through a video published on the YouTube platform and carried out a planned robbery. While valuable items and money were lost in the robbery, relevant authorities are conducting an investigation in connection with the case.
A court has ordered a man arrested in a case involving damage to mosques to be kept in custody until the end of his trial. Following his arrest for damaging mosques, the suspect was brought to court to decide on his remand, where the judge decided to detain him until the conclusion of the trial for the safety and security of the community. Relevant authorities are working to investigate and take action against such acts that damage sacred places and attempt to disrupt religious and social peace.
A person convicted in a case of robbing a young girl and pushing her down the stairs was sentenced to 5 months in prison by the court on September 26, 2026. The legally prescribed punishment was determined for the defendant after it was proven in court that he assaulted the girl, forcefully robbed her of her belongings, and then pushed her down the stairs. The court determined this sentence following the violent act, taking into account the nature of the crime and the damage sustained. Along with this decision, it was made clear that legal action will be taken against those who disrupt social peace and commit robberies on the streets and inside buildings.
As announced on 26 September 2026, work is underway to establish an "Open Island Concept" prison in the Maldives. Under this project, prison environments in the Maldives are being transformed into a modern concept, and all necessary arrangements are being planned to develop such a specialized prison. Furthermore, the relevant authorities are working to carry out the administrative and technical tasks required to implement this concept.