CP heads to Thailand on official visit for regional summit on scams

Commissioner of Police Ahmed Mohamed has departed for Thailand on an official visit to attend the "Regional Summit on Scam Center Compounds and Transnational Organized Crime," jointly hosted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Thai Police.

The summit, which is scheduled to be held in Bangkok on Monday and Tuesday, will bring together senior law enforcement officials from countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Maldives Police Service, the Commissioner’s visit aims to strengthen cooperation with regional and international law enforcement partners. The summit will also provide a platform to discuss joint initiatives to combat transnational organized crime and take stronger action against scam operations.

The summit will place particular focus on strategies to address large-scale scam centres. In the Maldives, scam-related incidents have increased significantly, with figures from the Police Anti-Scam Center showing that more than 2,700 cases have been reported over the past year. Police have also revealed that these incidents have caused financial losses exceeding MVR 33 million.

In June alone, 122 scam cases were reported, with most involving online business fraud carried out through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. Cases involving identity theft and money laundering have also been recorded.

The Police highlighted that international cooperation, expertise, and assistance remain crucial in addressing the growing threat posed by such crimes globally.

Inspector of Police Adam Naveed recently stated that 90 percent of scams targeting the Maldives are carried out through domestic operations. However, he noted that some cases involve international networks, making strengthened collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies essential.

The Maldives Police Service continues to implement measures to combat scam-related activities, including the establishment of an Anti-Scam Center and a dedicated hotline for reporting incidents. Police stated that more than MVR 10 million lost through scams has been recovered over the past year. Additionally, 3,852 bank accounts linked to scam activities have been frozen, and 36 individuals have been arrested.

Furthermore, 235 phone numbers and 452 devices used in scam operations have been blocked. Police have urged the public to report suspected scam incidents immediately by contacting 911 or 125, noting that timely reporting increases the likelihood of recovering lost funds.