Maldivian coup mercenary leader completes 25-Year prison sentence for 1988 attempted overthrow

New Delhi: Former Maldivian coup mercenary, Abdulla Luthfee, has completed his 25-year prison sentence for his role in the 1988 attempted coup in the Maldives.

Luthfee and a Tamil mercenary group orchestrated the coup to overthrow then-President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's administration, in November 1988 resulting in the deaths of 19 Maldivians, The Sun online reported from Maldives.

Initially sentenced to death, Luthfee's punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment, which equates to 25 years under Maldivian law.

During the coup, Luthfee and the Tamil mercenaries carried firearms and raided the homes of several cabinet ministers to locate them.

After their failed coup attempt, Luthfee and some of the mercenaries tried to escape on the MSL's MV Progress Lite, a vessel owned by the Maldivian state's shipping company.

Following the completion of his 25-year prison term related to the coup, Luthfee is currently serving a seven-month and six-day sentence for fleeing while he was permitted to travel overseas for medical reasons while serving his life sentence. This additional sentence was handed down two years ago.

The coup attempt in 1988 prompted India to launch "Operation Cactus" to assist the Maldives in countering the mercenaries. The Indian troops and Navy played a crucial role in thwarting the coup by intercepting the mercenary vessel and rescuing Maldivian citizens who had been taken hostage.

Luthfee and the other mercenaries were apprehended by Indian forces and subsequently handed over to the Maldives for legal proceedings.

Despite being issued a one-year travel document by the Maldivian Home Ministry in 2010 for medical treatment in India, Luthfee remained a fugitive. In 2012, the Criminal Court ordered the Maldives Police Service and Maldives Correctional Service to locate and arrest him. An Interpol red notice was issued to seek Luthfee's arrest.

After evading capture for nearly a decade, Luthfee surrendered himself to officials at the Maldivian embassy in Colombo on May 1, 2019, amidst security operations in Sri Lanka following the Easter bombings on April 21, 2019. He was extradited to the Maldives on July 9, 2019, and charged with escaping a detention facility.

Luthfee pleaded guilty to the charge, resulting in a reduced sentence of seven months and six days. Meanwhile, Sagar Nasir, another participant in the 1988 coup, received a 25-year prison sentence but has since been released after completing his term, according to a local Maldivian newspaper.

Following the 1988 coup attempt, India has continued to support the Maldives in strengthening its armed forces. The Indian government has provided assistance in capacity building, and numerous Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel have received training in India. This collaboration has fostered a long-standing partnership between the two countries in the field of defence.