The Maldives Police Service has estimated that there are around 1,000 repeat offenders operating in the city.
Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed disclosed the figures during a news conference, stating that a total of 3,449 cases were reported this year. Of these, 1,425 cases involved theft and robbery, with the majority relating to cycle thefts.
Police statistics show that 967 cycle were reported stolen during the year, while 865 cycle were recovered and returned to their owners. Authorities also recovered USD 32.6 million in connection with theft and robbery cases over the same period.
Superintendent Rasheed said approximately 1,000 repeat offenders have been identified, including individuals who have been arrested as many as 128 times. He said work has now begun to address the issue of repeat offending.
“The Prosecutor General's Office, the Criminal Court and the police have been working together since last month to compile a list of the most frequent repeat offenders. The results of these efforts will be seen within six months,” Superintendent Rasheed said.
Police said most individuals involved in repeated theft offences are drug users.
According to police data, 2,288 theft and robbery cases were investigated during the year, while 2,542 cases were completed. A total of 107 cases have been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution.