Couples arrested in drug trafficking case

A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of possession, use, and trafficking of drugs, with the Criminal Court remanding both into custody.

The individuals arrested in this case are Shivan Ibrahim, 45, and Aminath Nisa, 41.

The court ordered both to be held in a custodial jail for a period of 5 days, spanning from November 1, 2026, to November 6, 2026.

According to the remand order issued by Criminal Court Judge Ibrahim Zihuny, the arrests were carried out in accordance with criminal procedure.

The order noted that the police incident report contains a reasonable level of evidence supporting the allegations, and their continued detention was ordered as their release could pose a threat to public safety.

The police Investigating Officer (IO) stated in court that drugs were discovered inside a bag placed near the stairs of the building where Shivan and his partner reside.

The IO highlighted that the stairs lead solely to Shivan’s room and that keys found in his possession opened the locks to the area.

In his defense, Shivan argued that because a café and a warehouse operate on the ground floor of the building, individuals associated with those premises also have access to the stairwell area.

Furthermore, police stated that drugs were found in plain sight, along with a larger stashed quantity, inside a first floor apartment linked to Shivan.

The IO informed the court that drug packaging equipment and a ledger detailing sale transactions were also recovered from the location.

In response, Shivan stated in his defense that although the building belongs to him, he moved out and has been living in rented accommodation elsewhere for the past 5 years.

He further claimed that the site where the drugs were allegedly found has no door, allowing unhindered access to anyone, and that no items linked directly to him were recovered there.

As the defendants requested legal representation during the hearing, the court granted a short period to retain counsel and instructed the police to arrange access for them to contact an attorney.