Maldives Police Service (MPS) have initiated ‘Riveli Operation,’ a special police campaign aimed at ensuring road safety and public security during the school holidays, running from 24 December to 2 January.
The operation will focus on curbing theft, robbery, alcohol and drug offenses, illegal vehicle modifications, especially silencer-altered motorbikes, and violations of social norms.
Henveiru Police Chief Ahmed Adil told PSM News that vehicle checkpoints (VCPs) are a key component of the crackdown, targeting noise pollution from modified bikes—a major public concern.
"We are prioritising these checks based on community complaints," Adil said.
On the first night alone, 33 violations were recorded, with 204 out of 217 vehicles inspected. Over 500 officers will be deployed across the city to maintain vigilance while minimising public inconvenience.
In a related development, MPS announced significant progress in combating financial scams, with recovery rates soaring to 37 percent (USD 551,232 of USD 1.5 million lost) since the Anti-Scam Center’s launch in March.
The centre’s head Adam Naveed highlighted the Maldives’ outperformance of global counterparts, noting Singapore’s 22 percent recovery rate. The center has handled 1,663 cases, with full restitution in 539 instances.
Police are also collaborating with 12 countries under Operation Frontier Plus, recently reclaiming USD 250,000 in a cross-border fraud case.
Statistics reveal that most scam victims are young to middle-aged men, with 603 cases linked to Facebook Marketplace transactions.