Maldives imposes death penalty for large-scale drug trafficking

Amendments to the Drugs Act allow capital punishment and life imprisonment until death for major narcotics offences, signalling a tough stance on drug crime

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Maldives has brought into force sweeping amendments to its Drugs Act that introduce the death penalty for certain large-scale drug trafficking offenses, marking one of the most severe anti-narcotics measures adopted in South Asia.

The amended law took effect on Saturday, months after the country’s parliament approved the legislation in December 2025. President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the bill three days after its passage, with implementation scheduled to begin three months later.

Under the new provisions, individuals convicted of trafficking or smuggling drugs into the island nation may face capital punishment if strict legal thresholds are met. The law applies primarily to cases involving large quantities of narcotics entering the country.

According to the revised legislation, the death penalty may be considered when authorities seize more than 350 grams of cannabis brought into Maldives, more than 250 grams of diamorphine, or more than 100 grams of other substances classified under Category 1 controlled drugs.

However, the law sets multiple legal safeguards before such a sentence can be carried out. Any death penalty ruling must ultimately be confirmed unanimously by a bench of the Supreme Court after reviewing case evidence and legal arguments.

If Supreme Court judges do not reach a unanimous decision supporting execution, the convicted individual will instead receive a life sentence along with a financial penalty ranging between 100,000 Maldivian rufiyaa and 10,000,000 Maldivian rufiyaa ($6,470 to $647,000).

The legislation also introduces a significant change to how life imprisonment is defined under the country’s drug laws. Previously, life sentences were capped at 25 years. Under the amended act, life imprisonment for drug trafficking offenses now means incarceration until death, with no eligibility for parole, early release, or presidential pardon.

In addition, authorities are barred from entering plea bargain agreements in cases prosecuted under the revised Drugs Act, signaling a tougher prosecutorial stance toward large-scale narcotics crimes.

The law specifically targets trafficking operations involving drugs brought into Maldives at the point of entry, reflecting concerns among authorities about the country’s vulnerability to transnational drug networks operating across the Indian Ocean.

If the death penalty provisions are implemented, Maldives would join a small group of countries in Asia that retain capital punishment for drug trafficking offenses.

Singapore is known for its strict enforcement of such laws, while Sri Lanka also maintains death penalty provisions for drug trafficking but has long observed an unofficial moratorium on executions.

Maldivian authorities have argued that stronger penalties are necessary to combat rising drug use and trafficking across the archipelago, which consists of more than 1,000 islands and sits along major maritime routes linking South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

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