Police say they have closed down several cafe-style drug dealing establishments in the Greater Male' area this year.
In an interview with PSM, Chief Inspector of Police Ahmed Naif said that up until March 15th, Police have closed down 14 such establishments.
He also said that 6 such establishments are still in operation in Male' and that Police are facing hurdles to close down these establishments.
Naif said the biggest challenge in closing such places is the current obstacles under the Drugs Act. He said amendments have been proposed to the Drugs Act to address the issue.
The amendments include allowing police to close such premises for 72 hours without a court order and allowing the court to order them to close for a maximum of 90 days.
The police said the public's assistance is important to solve these problems, and they should not allow a family member to operate such facilities and be careful when renting houses.
Police advised that if such behavior is observed in rented premises, the owner is obliged by law to stop it immediately.
