.svg)
Convicted drug kingpin Ibrahim Rasheed (Abucha), who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for trafficking over 80 kilograms of narcotics, has been released on parole with 20 years remaining on his sentence.
News Desk
A mugshot of Abucha --
MALE : Ibrahim Rasheed (Abucha), who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for leading a major drug trafficking network based in Addu, has been released from prison on parole.
Rasheed was arrested in 2020 during a major counter-narcotics operation involving the smuggling of over 80 kilograms of illicit drugs into the Maldives. Police at the time identified him as the primary figurehead of the trafficking network. He was formally convicted in May 2023.
The Maldives Correctional Service confirmed to media outlets that Rasheed was released under parole guidelines but declined to provide further specifics regarding the decision. It is confirmed that the Parole Board approved Rasheed’s conditional release, leading to his discharge from custody on Tuesday.
The exact conditions attached to his release and the reasoning behind the Parole Board’s decision remain unclear. It is also unconfirmed whether his release is a temporary arrangement.
The State initially filed two separate charges of drug trafficking against Rasheed in November 2020. He subsequently pled guilty and signed a plea agreement with the Prosecutor General’s Office.
While the combined offenses carried a potential 50-year prison sentence, the plea bargain reduced his term to 25 years, which the court ultimately affirmed. Including time spent in pre-trial detention, Rasheed served approximately five years in custody, leaving 20 years remaining on his sentence at the time of his release.
