Former Maldives Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor, Who had Entered India Via Boat, Deported

New Delhi, August 3, 2019:

India has deported the former Vice-President of Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor (37) who had apparently tried to enter the country by boat, as he did not have valid documents.

Ghafoor had secretly fled the Maldives and entered India on a boat on Thursday. However, his plea for political asylum was rejected by the country.

The former Vice President was apprehended by officials near the coast of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu for illegally entering India.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said: "There are designated entry points through which foreigners are allowed entry into India. The entry is facilitated on the basis of appropriate valid travel documents. Since he was not entering India through a designated entry point and did not possess the valid documents, he has not been permitted entry into India."

It is to be mentioned that a Maldivian court had convicted Ghafoor in a plot to assassinate former president Abdulla Yameen. However, the Supreme Court of Maldives had ordered a fresh trial into the case. The former VP apparently faces grave risk to his life in the Maldives.

Inside Northeast’s Campaign #LetsSaveDeeporBeel is now supported by Oil India Limited (OIL). Join us as we continue the awareness campaign to preserve the only Ramsar site in Assam which is facing immense threats (A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention). We need your help to preserve this site of great ecological importance. Join the #LetsSaveDeeporBeel campaign and tweet about it, and do tag us on Twitter. Let’s make some noise!