The government has prepared a bill regarding the confiscation of assets obtained through illegal activities and presented it to Parliament on Tuesday.

In a social media post, President Muizzu stated that the legislation creates a legal structure to seize properties acquired through criminal activities, eliminating pathways for wrongdoers to benefit from those assets. He stated that this would stop criminals from profiting financially from criminal activities.

The legislation aims to address current legal shortcomings in seizing state assets obtained by individuals involved in serious criminal acts.

Nonetheless, additional specifics of the bill have not been released on Parliament’s website.

Maldivian legislation already includes regulations regarding the profits from crime, and a previous amendment to the Drugs Act proposed by this administration involved an evaluation of the processes for seizing and forfeiting criminal assets.

It is important to note that while courts have mandated the seizure of funds and assets acquired through illegal activities in severe instances, such mandates have seldom been put into action.