Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated that most mobile SIM cards being used for criminal acts in the Maldives are registered to foreigners who are not in the country.
Speaking at a press conference, Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed said that reports of crimes that involve the use of mobile phones have increased, especially scams and even major crimes such as terrorism. He said that most of the SIM cards have been purchased by foreigners who currently do not live in the Maldives and that they add up to 5,000 SIM cards per person.
Furthermore, Commissioner Hameed said MPS has been working to stop calls from these SIM cards, including cutting off service for 2,196 phone numbers, blacklisting 817 phones, as well as blocking 12 websites and eight IP addresses. He added that discussions are being held to implement legal changes to eliminate the challenges in conducting the efforts.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu said that installing jammers around Maafushi Prison to stop scam calls from inside the prison also hinders the residents and that an antenna has been installed inside the prison instead. He added that the IP addresses being used by individuals who are legally using their phones in the area have been disclosed to the relevant authorities and that the initiative will make it easier for MPS and the Communications Authority of Maldives to focus their efforts.