A suspect detained in a drug case died in detention on Sunday, in the latest such custodial death in recent months, giving rise to mounting concerns over lack of access to treatment for drug addiction in detention facilities.
The Maldives has seen a rise in custodial deaths in recent months, many of them drug addicts.
On Sunday, Ahmed Afrah, 48, G. Zamia, K. Male’, was found dead in his cell at the Atholhu Vehi, a custodial jail in Male’ City.
While the police did not disclose any details regarding the case linked to him, the Criminal Court order for his remand shows Afrah was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs on Friday, and remanded in custody of the police for 30 days the next day, after he tested positive for a type of drug, which wasn’t specified in the court order.
The Criminal Court noted that Afrah had a history of prior arrests in drug cases, and the need for immediate and urgent treatment for his drug addiction.
Criminal Court. (Photo/Dhauru)
He was found dead in his jail cell two days after his arrest.
The police have decided to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
This is just the latest in a string of custodial deaths, which includes sudden deaths and suicides. Many of the detainees were arrested in drug cases.
In a country facing a drug crisis, many of the suspects arrested by the police are drug addicts.
While withdrawal from certain drugs can be fatal, many of the detention facilities in the country do not offer access to treatment that drug addicts need.
This is a concern shared by Ali Adeeb, an internationally certified addiction professional and global drug demand reduction trainer.
Adeeb said that drug abuse is widespread in Maldivian jails and prisons, which he believes is due to lack of access to drug treatment in such facilities.
This is despite the fact that the law requires for drug addicts in detention facilities to be provided access to the medical treatment they require.
Police conduct raids to shut down ‘drug dens’ in Male’ City on September 30, 2021. (File Photo/Sun/Fayaz Moosa)
“The so-called treatment we are providing now is doing whatever we see fit in jails and then just releasing someone who is still on drugs into the community. We aren’t able to provide proper treatment to the people there [in jails]. They don’t have the proper access,” said Adeeb.
Adeeb believes that the first thing authorities need to do is check the type of drug detainees are on and the nature of crimes they are accused of committing.
He said that it is crucial to refer to these factors before starting a treatment program, as addiction to different types of drugs require different treatments.
“It has become very dangerous now. We need to thing about the jails with greater seriousness. Given the changes to the type of drugs being used, the people aren’t using types of drugs that we can just simply disregard,” he said.
The Maldives has seen a rise in abuse of methamphetamine or meth, a highly addictive synthetic stimulant that speeds up the body’s system. The drug first causes a rush of good feelings, but then users feel edgy, overly excited, angry, or afraid. It causes medical problems including making the body temperature so high that it causes people to pass out, severe itching, thinking and emotional problems, and broken teeth and dry mouth – known as “meth mouth.”
Police raided M. Lonumidhilige, an infamous ‘drug den’ in Male’ City, on December 19, 2019. (File Photo/Sun/Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim)
More and more addicts have been switching to meth due to its cheaper price. And many addicts are abusing not just a single type of drug, but a mix of two or more.
Adeeb expressed concern that despite the prevalence of meth abuse and the lack of proper treatment for meth addiction, its dangers have been largely ignored.
“It is crucial to assess the situation in jails. The level of addiction of the people there. A jail is a depressing place. But does it really need to be? In developed countries, detainees can access whatever literature they need. They have resources available to pursue paths for advancement in whatever field they wish to,” he said.
Adeeb said that the last proper assessment of jails was conducted back in 2002.
He said the situation has become far more dangerous in the decades since, making a proper assessment crucial.
Drug addiction is the biggest social issue facing Maldives, and one which thousands of Maldivians have fallen victim to, generation after generation.
Experts believe the Maldives needs urgent systemic reforms, including adopting a proactive approach rather than continuing to react, in order to turn the tide in its drug crisis.