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Vice President meets Singapore Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Prison Services

Vice President Faisal Naseem has met with officials from Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Prison Services, as part of his working visit to Singapore, to discuss strategies relevant to combatting illicit drug trafficking and discouraging and preventing their use.

The Singaporean officials provided Vice President Naseem with an overview of their country's highly effective prison rehabilitation programme, that prioritises providing convicts with career-relevant skillsets and helping them find job-opportunities once out of prison so that they can be reintegrated into society as responsible and law-abiding members once more. Following their presentation, the officials provided the vice president with a tour of Singapore Drug Rehabilitation Centre.

Drug-use amongst youth has been a burgeoning issue in the Maldives for the past several decades, which has, in turn, contributed to several other social challenges. The administration said it will be proactive in addressing the issue by improving the law enforcement and rehabilitation programmes, with the assistance provided by countries such as Singapore, which has made notable strides in rehabilitation.