Gov’t Proposes Death Penalty for Trafficking Drugs

The Ministry of Homeland and Security has proposed a new amendment to the Drug Act that would introduce the death penalty for individuals convicted of trafficking in more than 500 grams of drugs.

The draft bill suggests that those found guilty of smuggling over 500 grams of substances listed in Annex 1 of the act could face capital punishment. Annex 1 includes drugs and substances that are strictly prohibited.

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Annex 2 lists pharmaceutical drugs that can be misused as narcotics or contain similar prohibited contents, while Annex 3 details items used in the production of narcotics and related chemicals.

Under the current legislation, those convicted of drug trafficking are subject to life imprisonment or fines ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 1 million.

Currently, Maldivian law permits the death penalty only for homicide convictions, making this proposed amendment a significant departure by introducing capital punishment for drug trafficking offences.

Despite the legal allowance for the death penalty in cases of homicide, Maldives has not yet implemented this form of punishment.