Man receives life sentence for smuggling drugs in vases

An individual has received a life sentence (25 years) after being convicted of smuggling in drugs concealed in vases. 

The sentence was handed to Abdulla Sodhiq, Vehethaanuge, S. Hithadhoo, last Sunday by the Criminal Court. 

Sodhiq was charged with drug smuggling after drugs were found during an inspection of a vase in his luggage after he had arrived in Maldives on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight. Four rubber packets found in the vase contained 169g of diamorphine. 

Two additional vases in his luggage were then inspected, revealing more concealed diamorphine. From these, two rubber packets with 35g of diamorphine and two rubber packets with 68g of diamorphine were found. 

Sodhiq was charged under Appendix 1 with smuggling drugs into the Maldives. He denied the allegations, claiming he had not knowingly smuggled drugs. 

The Criminal Court's verdict states that when questioned about the drugs found in Sodhiq's luggage, he had attempted to lie and deceive authorities. It stated that the deception shows that he had something to hide. If he had no connection to the drugs found in the vases, there is no reason why he would not have cooperated to reveal the truth, the verdict reads. 

This proves that Sodhiq was aware that the vases contained an illegal substance, the judge ruled. 

As the drugs were found in the luggage he had brought on his return to Maldives, and because he had not denied this, it is proven that it was smuggled into the country, the verdict further reads. 

The court sentenced Sodhiq to 25 years in prison and fined him MVR 100,000, the maximum penalty for the offence.