The Criminal Court has ordered the 15-day remand of a man accused of heading a large network that illegally organised begging in Malé.
Mohamed Rashwan Abbas, 53, of H. Karoge, was arrested on Tuesday by the Counter Narcotics and Drug Enforcement section of the police in a special operation. Authorities said the network used foreign nationals to solicit money across a wide area of the capital.
During the operation police recovered 826 packets of goods and took three Bangladeshi nationals into custody. Investigators said two foreign nationals previously stopped in connection with begging identified Rashwan as their employer and said they operated under his instructions.
Rashwan has denied all charges. The court refused bail, citing the scale of the case. Police described the activity as widespread and organised.