The Criminal Court of the Maldives has sentenced a local man, identified as Zaidhan, to imprisonment after convicting him of multiple counts of fraud and circulating counterfeit foreign currency to purchase high-end mobile electronics from a retail store in Malé.
The verdict was handed down by presiding Judge Muzammil Nasir following judicial scrutiny of a transaction where the defendant purchased two luxury Apple iPhone devices from retail vendor I.M Tech using twenty-nine counterfeit USD 100 banknotes.
Plea agreement and forensic findings
According to court filings, Zaidhan admitted guilt during trial proceedings after entering into a formal plea agreement with the Prosecutor General's Office. Forensic technical analysis conducted by the Maldives Monetary Authority’s currency verification laboratory confirmed that all 29 counterfeit bills bore identical paper density flaws and had been manufactured using the same commercial laser printing device.
In delivering the judgment, the court sentenced Zaidhan to custodial detention and ordered him to reimburse the victim enterprise in full:
"The court sentences the defendant following his voluntary confession under the plea framework and orders him to pay USD 2,900 in restitution to I.M Tech through the Civil Court within a one-year timeframe," Judge Muzammil Nasir stated in the judicial decree.
A co-accused individual who was present at the scene on a motorcycle was acquitted by the court after prosecutors failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that he was aware the banknotes were forged.
Warning against counterfeit foreign exchange
The conviction comes amid growing alerts issued by the Maldives Police Service and commercial banks regarding the circulation of high-grade counterfeit US dollar bills within the capital's retail and informal foreign exchange markets.
Law enforcement authorities urged commercial businesses and currency exchange counters to utilize certified ultraviolet and magnetic banknote detectors before accepting high-denomination foreign cash. Police reiterated that individuals found in possession of, or attempting to circulate, counterfeit legal tender face severe criminal penalties and mandatory prison terms under national penal statutes.
