Maldives Police to be armed with lethal weapons to combat dollar black market

Maldives Police are to be armed with lethal weapons to combat the illegal dollar black market prevailing in the country, the government said today.

President Nasheed vowed to solve the dollar black market crisis. "I will do that even if I have to put a policeman chasing each dollar," Nasheed told reporters.

Police are to be armed with pistols and light weapons while they patrol the streets looking for people suspected of exchanging dollars at high prices.

In a successful operation police arrested a Bangladeshi man from a shop in capital Male on Tuesday for exchanging dollars on the black market.

The government is also trying to remove Fazeel Najeeb, Governor of Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), for the failure of the regulatory to take satisfactory measures to control the dollar black market.

"We will remove Mr Najeeb and appoint an MDP activist from Haruge. A tourist guide from Chandhanee Magu will be suitable for Governor of MMA. Tourist guides have experience of handling dollars," President's Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said.