The former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shammaan Waheed has been remanded for 15 days.

Shamaan was arrested last night on suspicion of misusing his official position and obtaining undue benefits from foreign workers. He was arreste arrested when he appeared at the police station to give a statement.

Police said tonight that when Shamaan was brought to court to decide on his detention, the court remanded him for 15 days.

In addition to Shamaan, three other Immigration officers have also been arrested in connection with the case. Two of them have been ordered to be detained for 10 days and one for three days.

In relation to the case against Shamaan, police searched his residence last Thursday night.

In a statement, police said that based on information received about some Immigration employees misusing their official positions and obtaining undue benefits from foreign workers, investigations so far have revealed that employees from sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management Section, which usually handle the responsibility of finding and detaining illegal immigrants, have misused their official positions to search residences of foreigners.

"Foreigners taken into Immigration custody from that house were brought with a large amount of cash. And one day later, on the order of the then Controller General of Immigration, a foreigner who was taken to Immigration detention with MVR 530,000 was released from detention in the early hours of the morning, as the investigation has revealed," the police statement said.

"Furthermore, it has been revealed in the investigation that Immigration employees who actively participated in the aforementioned house search met the released foreigner on the street, obtained some money he had, and entered the building where Mohamed Shammaan Waheed, who served as the Controller General of Immigration until March 21, 2025, resides with that money," it added.

Police said that in connection with the case, five people were stopped and searched under a court order, and their electronic devices were taken into police custody. They also said that Shamaan's residence was searched, and a large amount of cash and electronic devices were taken into police custody.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu dismissed Shamaan from the position of Immigration Controller last Thursday.