Maldives politicians enlist violent drug gangs
Paradise tourist spot plunged into violence as politicians allegedly enlist gangsters to intimidate opponents and silence activists
Ibrahim sits in a dark corner of a cafe, talking about his gang, the stabbings and the money he makes from selling heroin.
Outside, locals splash through the narrow lanes of the congested capital of the Maldives under a heavy monsoon shower. "It's been a good few months. We've been doing well," he says, lighting another cigarette.
Recently, Ibrahim's gang has been busy with a new sideline: providing political parties with muscle to intimidate opponents, swell meetings and provide security. "There's so much demand, we've had to appoint someone just to run that side of our operations. Requests are coming in all the time," he says.
Many of the 900,000 tourists who visit the Maldives each year remain blissfully oblivious to its seething political instability, violence and social problems.
In 2008, presidential elections ended the three-decade dictatorship of Mamoun Abdul Gayoom and brought Mohamed Nasheed, a veteran human rights campaigner and well-known environmental activist, to power.
But after a series of clashes over issues, such as the independence of the judiciary and alleged "anti-Islamic" policies, Nasheed was forced to resign in February.