Foreign Ministry has revealed that Maldivian who are in hiding after having fled the Maldives are also requesting for visa and passport renewals.

An operation conducted by the Sri Lankan security forces following the April 21 attacks in Sri Lanka revealed that numerous Maldivians in Lanka had expired passports and visas.

During a meeting held with editors of news mediums, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and senior officials of the Ministry revealed that such Maldivians have been contacting the Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka to renew their expired passports and visas. He added that some of their passports have been expired for about four to five years.

Though some of them have come forward to being criminals, neither of those who contacted the Embassy revealed their exact whereabouts.

Some Maldivian students are also among those with expired visas, and accoridng to the Ministrer the Maldivian government is assisting them in the renewal of their student visas.

One of the fugitives hiding in Lanka includes the Managing Director of Sea Life Global, Moosa Mohamed (Ammaty). While there is an Interpol red notice for his lookout, some allege that he has been living in luxury hotels in Sri Lanka.

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) gave a land to Sea Life near Treetop Hospital in Hulhumale’ to build a 3,000 unit housing complex. The complex have not been developed and over 200 people have filed to gain their money back.

While many similar cases against Sea Life are at the courts and being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Criminal Court has previously ordered the arrest of Mohamed Moosa.