High Court upholds life sentence in G. Vaafaru House drug case

The High Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Criminal Court to Saffa Hussain Taileel for drug trafficking, affirming the original conviction and fine of 100,000 rufiyaa. The case dates back to February 26, 2019, when police intelligence received information leading to a court-ordered search of an apartment on the second floor of G. Vaafaru House. Police found Taileel inside a locked room, where they discovered 73 rubber packages containing 30.8 grams of cannabis hidden inside the leg of a side table, along with a pipe, his wallet and ID card. The state charged Taileel and Mahmood Abdullah with trafficking cannabis, but the Criminal Court ruled the crime not proven against Mahmood on September 25, 2023. Taileel was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 rufiyaa, with the effective term reduced to 24 years, 8 months and 12 days after deducting time served. Taileel appealed, arguing the room belonged to a friend and that he had no knowledge of the drugs, and claimed his confession was made to save his brother. He also contested the analysis report and chain of custody. A unanimous bench of High Court judges Ismail Shafeeu, Hassan Shafeeu, and Abdurraouf Ibrahim ruled that the locked room, Taileel's sole presence, and his own statement before a judge proved his control over the premises and knowledge of the drugs. They also noted that the authenticity of the analysis report was never disputed in the lower court, and new matters not raised there would not be reviewed on appeal. The High Court therefore upheld the Criminal Court's sentence.