The remand of a man, arrested on suspicion of hacking the Viber account of an individual and impersonating that individual to extort over MVR 150,000 from multiple individuals on various occasions, has been extended.
The suspect has been identified as a 39-year-old Maldivian man, Hassan Azhar, Hulhumale’ Flat 39-2-06.
Azhar was arrested on December 7 in connection with a case reported to the Police Anti-Scam Centre on November 30, involving the compromise of an individual’s Viber account and the impersonation of that person to extort more than MVR 150,000.
Following his arrest, Azhar was initially remanded in custody for 15 days. His detention has since been extended several times, with the most recent extension on Monday. In this regard, the court remanded him in custody for 15 days on Monday, citing the possibility he might reoffend.
The remand order states that the case has been accepted by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), with the prosecution indicating its intention to file charges at the earliest.
Other suspects arrested in connection with the case include Ahmed Hassan, 33, G. Male’ Hiyaa 03-16-01 and Hussain Samah, 33, Veshi, N. Manadhoo.
The case is under investigation by the Police.