The new Prevention of Gang and Other Serious Offenses Act banning the sale of knives to minors came into effect on Monday.
As the legislature comes into force, Maldives Police Service’s Crime Prevention Centre said the ban on the sale of knives to minors has also come into effect.
Any individual found to have sold a knife to a minor can be fined between MVR 20,000 and MVR 100,000.
The new Prevention of Gang and Other Serious Offenses Act was passed by the Parliament on May 15th and ratified by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on May 25th.
Speaking to the press after ratifying the Act, the President said that gang-related crimes had remained unresolved in the Maldives for years because politicians appease gangs for their own personal gain.
He said that his administration will be indiscriminate in enforcing the law.
Police officer briefing shopkeepers on new law banning the sale of knives to minors. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
In this regard, the new Act arms law enforcement agencies with greater powers to curb gang activity, including the power to enter and search private properties and make arrests without a court warrant, and hold arrestees for up to 48 hours while denying for legal representation.
Authorities will also have the power to deny parole to offenders of major crimes, and the legislature also prescribes lengthy prison sentences exceeding 10 years and huge fines for various offenses.
Other key provisions include:
Judicial identification of gangs and affiliated individuals
Confiscation of illicit wealth and assets linked to gang activity, serious crime, or illicit enrichment through judicial processes
Criminalization of financial support to gangs
Use of controlled deliveries and covert operations to disrupt gang networks
Preventive measures to protect juveniles from recruitment into gangs
Monitoring of high-risk individuals, including electronic tagging under the MoniCon Order
Establishment of a structured system for offender supervision and rehabilitation
Last Tuesday, the Police urged extra vigilance from parents over frequent sightings of groups of young boys at crime hotspots. Notably, there have been instances where violent altercations involving minors have resulted in deaths.