President Muizzu’s gang emergency grabs headlines, but police assess current threat as low, though persistent. Maldives has 83 gangs with 3,500+ members, including 97 children used for drug trafficking. Southern atolls host 31 gangs.
In a striking announcement regarding gang violence in the Maldives, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu declared that “it has come to an end”: according to him, no groups in the Maldives currently meet the legal criteria to be designated as “gangs.” He made the bold claim of closure while speaking at an event marking his administration’s two-year anniversary. President Muizzu said that his government’s policies have turned the tide – Maldivian youth have abandoned gang life and now lead “dignified, normal lives.”
President Muizzu said he asked the Home Minister how many groups have been officially classified as gangs under the Prevention of Gang and Other Serious Offences Act – and was told there are none that satisfy the definition. He insisted that this represents “a huge step forward … for gangs to be eradicated from here,” while calling on any remaining individuals involved in gang activity to surrender to a lawful existence.
New Law, New Tools
Critics and observers note that Muizzu’s declaration comes after the ratification of a strengthened legal framework. The Prevention of Gang and Other Serious Offences Act was formally ratified in May and came fully into effect three months later. The legislation grants law enforcement significantly expanded powers – including the judicial identification of gangs, confiscation of illicit wealth, covert operations, and restrictions on associating with known gang members.
Home Security Minister Ali Ihusaan has underlined that this law tackles past loopholes. He argues that previously, prosecutions were hampered by a lack of legal clarity: older laws did not clearly define what constitutes a gang or distinguish between leader and member.
Since July 2024, the government has also established a specialized Gang Crime Enforcement Unit within the Maldives Police Service, which has questioned more than 31,000 people in known gang hotspots, made arrests, and filed charges – all, the authorities say, without any gang-related deaths.
On-The-Ground Reality
But while the president’s proclamation is headline-making, the reality on the ground is more nuanced. The Maldives Police Service earlier reported that the current “threat level” of gangs is low, but not non-existent. Superintendent Ali Arif, head of gang crimes, acknowledged that in earlier years – particularly around 2012–13 – there were widespread street fights involving dangerous weapons.
Moreover, gang activity has persisted far beyond just street violence. According to the Home Ministry, there are reportedly 83 gangs operating across the country, involving more than 3,500 active members. Of particular concern, the ministry disclosed that 97 children are involved in gangs, with several reportedly being used to transport and sell drugs.
In the southern atolls alone, police say there are 31 gangs with over 700 members. Last year, four gangs were specifically identified by the Police Commissioner as being behind a spike in violent crime in the capital.
Is It Really Over?
Given these contradictions, analysts and civil society are raising a key question: have the gang wars truly ended – or has the definition simply changed?
Some experts point out that reclassifying or “declaring an end” to gang groups may not reflect an actual disappearance, but rather a shift in how they are treated under the law. The new Act requires judicial identification – but if no group is legally defined, does that translate into disappearance, or merely a legal blind spot?
Furthermore, the legacy of gang violence in the Maldives runs deep, entwined with political, business, and social fault lines. As noted in an earlier detailed investigation by OWSA, gang networks have historically been used by powerful actors for political influence and economic gain.
Human rights advocates warn against prematurely declaring victory: without transparency, there’s a risk that groups may operate below the threshold of legal recognition, or rebrand themselves in ways that evade enforcement. Others say that the success of anti-gang efforts must be measured not just in arrests, but in sustainable social reintegration of former gang members, especially youth.
Even President Muizzu himself acknowledged that if any groups still fall within the legal definition of a gang, the Home Ministry – with the Prosecutor General’s Office – must classify and act against them. But for now, his announcement marks a bold rhetorical turn, raising both hope and scepticism.
