Maldives Immigration has begun using body worn cameras in the ongoing raids to curb illegal migration.
In a post on X, Immigration said officers used bodycams in a first during a raid in Hulhumale’ Phase I on Saturday.
Three irregular expatriate workers were detained in the operation, according to the agency.
Immigration did not disclose the nationalities of those detained in the raid.
The use of bodycams in operations comes with multiple Immigration officers under investigation for abuse of power.
Immigration officers use bodycams in a raid on Hulhumale' on May 24, 2025. (Photo/Maldives Immigration)
The most high-profile case is the extortion case against former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed and four immigration officers.
Shamaan, 36, was dismissed from his role as the head of Maldives Immigration on March 20. In a statement shortly after the news of his dismissal broke, the police said they were investigating a case involving “several employees of Maldives Immigration who misused their authority to extort expatriate workers.”
Investigators raided Shamaan’s residence in Male’ the same night, and seized MVR 257,475, USD 10,000 and cash in other foreign currencies, as well as electronic devices.
He and four other immigration officers were arrested on March 21, and the police finished the investigation and asked the Prosecutor General's Office to file charges against all five on May 12.
However, it is unclear if charges have been filed, as of yet.
These allegations against Shamaan are denied by his family, including his wife Hidhufa Faiz, who has described it as a frame job.
Former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed. (Photo/Maldives Immigration)
The family claims that Shamaan was framed by Home Minister Ali Ihusan because he has evidence of corruption by the latter, including an incriminating video. The family also said that Shamaan had alerted President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to the alleged corruption via a letter back in December last year, including corruption in issuance of quotas and work permits for expatriates.
The crackdown on irregular migration – launched in 2023 – has seen over 6,000 expatriates deported from the Maldives.
The Maldives also been running ‘Operation Kurangi’ – a program to collect the biometric data of all expatriates in the country. On March 19, the Homeland Security Ministry announced that they have connected the biometric data of over 100,000 expatriates, including 65,000 from the greater Male’ area, since the program was launched on May 2, 2024.
The government has said that the completion of ‘Kurangi’ will provide a permanent solution to irregular migration.