A man from Bangladesh taken into custody on charges of unlawfully detaining a woman and coercing her into sex work has been ordered to remain in detention by the Criminal Court on Thursday.

The individual has been recognized as 30-year-old Mohamed Nahidul Islam.

As per the remand order, the suspect, who lives in a residence in the Galolhu district, appeared before the court for a remand session on Thursday, during which the court ruled for his detention for 10 days to facilitate the investigation. Consequently, his detention will end on June 14th.

The directive indicated that, according to the information provided by the Police, there exists adequate prima facie evidence against the accused. This encompasses the incident report, witness accounts supplied by the Police, and records concerning the victim.

The suspect is charged with imprisoning his wife in a room and compelling her into sex work. The court ruling did not reveal the nationality of the woman who was victimized.

The Police have stated that the investigation is underway under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, instead of as a regular criminal offence.

The judge examining the suspect’s remand observed that releasing him might present a possible threat to public safety.

Authorities have recently escalated their efforts to break up prostitution rings functioning in Malé. Police statistics indicate that these situations often involve expatriates employed in the Maldives, along with women brought to the country under the guise of job opportunities, whose passports are reportedly retained to force them into sex work.