Criminal Court Sentences Man to 24 Years for Drug Trafficking

The Criminal Court has sentenced a person to 24 years in prison for proving the charge of drug trafficking. The case was filed against Shiyal bin Rilwan. The charge of drug trafficking was brought against Shiyal following information received by the police last April, after a bicycle's mudguard was pried open with a wrench found in Shiyal's possession, revealing drugs hidden inside a small pouch under the mudguard. Accordingly, the judgment states that analysis of the items revealed the presence of a total of 30 grams of drugs from rubber packets found inside the small pouch. The judgment also states that items similar to rubber packets and sticks, which are used for drug trafficking, were also found under the mudguard. During the initial hearing of the case, Shiyal denied the charges. He stated that the bicycle where the drugs were found was not his bicycle and that the wrench was not his item either. The judgment in the case states that although Shiyal denied the charges, considering the evidence presented by the prosecution to the court, the charge is proven beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, the Criminal Court sentenced him to 24 years and 11 months in prison and imposed a fine of one hundred thousand rufiyaas.