Former Vice President of Maldives Ahmed Adeeb was arrested in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Thursday for allegedly trying to enter the country illegally, Maldives Independent reported. According to ANI, he was held by the Thoothukudi Port Authority.
Adeeb was allegedly posing as a member of a tug boat called Virgo 9, Maldives Independent reported. An eyewitness shared a video of the arrest with the website.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the government was trying to “ascertain the veracity of reports” on the matter.
Adeeb travelled to India after the courts in the island nation dismissed multiple convictions against him. However, his passport was withheld because of ongoing investigations. He was freed from house arrest two weeks ago after serving a 15-day contempt of court sentence, according to Maldives Independent. He had visited India early July on medical leave.
The doctors reportedly recommended him to return to India within six months for a follow-up examination. At the time of his last trip to India, there were concerns that he would attempt to flee.
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