A 48-year-old man has died while in police custody in Malé City.

The deceased has been identified as Ahmed Afrah, K. Malé. He was arrested on Friday and held at the Atolhu Vehi detention facility.

According to police, Afrah was found unresponsive at around 5:50 a.m. on Saturday and was immediately taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), where he was declared dead on arrival.

The case is now under investigation by the police’s Major Crime Investigation Department. The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and the National Integrity Commission (NIC) have also been notified of the incident.

Police further stated that the Professional Standards Command has launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Afrah’s death.