President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has claimed that under the recently enacted Anti-Gang Crime Act, no group in the Maldives currently meets the criteria to be designated as a “gang” through the courts, asserting that no such gangs exist at present.

He delivered these remarks on Monday night during a ceremony marking the government’s second anniversary.

Highlighting the law introduced to curb gang-related and other dangerous crimes, the president said he had asked Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan how many groups had been designated as gangs under the Act.

Citing the minister, the president noted that the number of groups that could be identified as gangs has now become “very small”. He described this as a major step forward and said the decision to impose obstacles and strict penalties on gangs was taken to protect youth.

The president further said that since the enactment of the anti-gang law, youths previously involved in gangs have stopped their activities. He added that the aim of enforcing laws with severe punishments is to create strong deterrents to crime, emphasizing that the goal is not only to punish but to steer youth away from criminal environments.

The People’s Majlis passed the Anti-Gang Crime Act on 15 May 2025, and the president ratified it on 25 May 2025. The law grants extensive powers to police and law enforcement agencies, including the authority to enter private premises without a court order, arrest suspects, conduct searches, and deny bail to those accused of serious crimes.