News Desk
MALE’, Maldives — Police carried out a late-night raid in Hulhumalé Phase Two on Saturday, following a tip-off that foreign women were being brought in and sold for sex. The operation began at 21:49 inside Hiya Tower, where officers uncovered not only prostitution but also cash and drugs.
Among those arrested was Hussein Solah, 40, from Rasgetheem island, along with four women from Uzbekistan. The women were identified as Zarima Gulamovena Dejuraeva (40), Dildora Egamnazowara (31), Shahzodakhon Rustamova (28), and Umidabonu Nematova (34).
Police said the group was taken into custody after a search of an apartment in the 12th tower. Inside, investigators found more than $19,100 and MVR 18,000 in cash. Solah and Dejuraeva are accused of running the operation.
Both were remanded for 10 days, while the other three women received five-day remand orders. Authorities confirmed the case is still under investigation.
The arrests come against a wider backdrop of concern over human trafficking in the Maldives. International reports have repeatedly flagged the country as a destination where migrant workers and foreign women are vulnerable to exploitation. The U.S. State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report placed the Maldives on its Tier 2 Watch List, citing failures to prosecute traffickers and gaps in victim protection.
Authorities have acknowledged that trafficking often overlaps with prostitution and labor exploitation, particularly involving foreign nationals. Despite new measures such as an anti-trafficking hotline and amendments to the Employment Act, critics say enforcement remains weak and victims risk being penalized instead of protected.
The case in Hulhumalé highlights how trafficking networks can intersect with local actors, cash flows, and organized crime.
