Male’, Maldives – Former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, was arrested on Friday night, just hours after his dismissal over allegations of corruption.
A police spokesperson confirmed that Shamaan was formally arrested upon his arrival at the Sergeant Adam Haleem Criminal Investigation Building for questioning. His arrest follows an ongoing probe into allegations that senior Immigration officials misused their authority for personal gain.
Allegations and Investigation
Shamaan was dismissed from his post on Thursday night. Shortly after, the Maldives Police Service issued a statement revealing an investigation into multiple Immigration officers suspected of exploiting their positions to extort expatriate workers.
According to the police, a group of Immigration officers—who were not assigned to the taskforce or risk management units responsible for handling undocumented expatriates—conducted a raid on a migrant accommodation. Multiple expatriates were detained, some with large amounts of cash.
Investigators found that one expatriate, who had MVR 530,000 in cash at the time of the raid, was released at midnight the following day under direct orders from Shamaan. Subsequently, officers involved in the operation met the expatriate on the street, took the money, and entered Shamaan’s residence carrying the cash.
The police later conducted a raid on Shamaan’s residence in Male’, where they seized a substantial amount of cash along with electronic devices. However, authorities have not disclosed the exact amount of money recovered.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings
In addition to Shamaan, police have arrested three other suspects in connection with the case. Their identities remain undisclosed. They were presented before the Criminal Court for their remand hearings on Friday. Two of the suspects were remanded in police custody for 10 days, while the third suspect received a three-day remand.
Shamaan’s removal and arrest came as a surprise to many, as he had been credited for a crackdown on illegal immigration, a longstanding issue in the Maldives. He was appointed as the Controller General of Immigration on November 19, 2023, just two days after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu took office. He had previously served 14 years in Immigration before being dismissed during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration.
Following his dismissal, former Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh was appointed as the new Controller General of Immigration on Friday morning.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, with further arrests and developments expected in the coming days.
