Gang-related violence across the Maldives has dropped significantly over the past two and a half years, with police actively investigating 10 key figures identified as gang leaders under new anti-organized crime laws, Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan announced.
Speaking during the public ‘Ahaa’ Forum, Minister Ihusaan highlighted that gang clashes previously claimed between two to five young lives annually. However, through intensified policing and targeted interventions, no Maldivian citizen has lost their life to gang violence over the past three years.
To achieve this reduction, law enforcement executed 52 specialized operations targeting gang hot spots, conducting checks on over 10,000 individuals, making 517 arrests, and impounding 670 vehicles linked to criminal networks. Authorities also cracked down on hubs utilized for juvenile recruitment, raiding and shutting down 26 locations. Active criminal proceedings against 10 gang leaders have been under way since June under strengthened organized crime legislation.
Alongside law enforcement measures, the government has focused on rehabilitation and youth engagement, offering employment pathways and economic opportunities to steer young people away from gang involvement. Minister Ihusaan noted that 212 children some as young as 14 and 15 were removed from high-risk environments, provided counseling at police facilities, and reunited with their families. Long-term rehabilitation efforts will center around initiatives like the planned ‘Hope Island’ facility, designed to provide education, vocational training, and skill development for youth.
