A beloved tourist hotspot has suddenly expanded its penalties, introducing the death penalty for a common crime. Here’s what this means for A
Australians planning trips to a world-famous destination are being warned after local authorities broadened the scope of capital punishment.
From March 2026, the Maldives will impose stricter penalties for drug offenses, including execution, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and substantial fines.
Although drug offenses are not unusual in Australia, SmartTraveller warns that even possessing a small amount of illegal drugs in the Maldives could lead to charges of trafficking.
This applies to cannabis and cannabis-based products, such as edibles, cannabis oil and cream, hemp, hash, CBD, and THC.
A medical prescription does not render these substances legal in the Maldives.
"If you bring, purchase, or use such products in the Maldives, you can be arrested and face imprisonment, fines, deportation, life without parole, or the death penalty," SmartTraveller cautions. "Do not possess or use illegal drugs in the Maldives."
Drug-related crime tends to occur in urban centers, including Greater Malé and inhabited non-resort islands.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has argued that tougher laws are needed to curb drug use and addiction.
"A central aim of this government is to shield society from the scourge of drugs and to foster a generation free from them," he stated in July.
Nevertheless, the move has sparked criticism from international human rights organizations, who contend that the death penalty infringes on human rights and undermines the country’s international commitments. They point to two main concerns: applying the death penalty to a crime not previously punishable by death, and limiting its use to the gravest offenses.
In a joint statement issued in August, nine human rights groups—including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch—warned that introducing the death penalty for drug offenses could worsen the Maldives’ already troubling human rights record, particularly regarding capital punishment.
For context, the Maldives already imposes the death penalty for serious crimes such as murder.
Geographically, the Maldives is an archipelago of over 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It is renowned for its pristine resorts and is especially popular among honeymooners.
Current civil unrest and security concerns in non-resort areas have led SmartTraveller to advise Australians to exercise heightened caution while traveling to the country.
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