Police to send missing Maldives scribe's case samples abroad

Police in Maldives said they will send some samples of missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan's probe abroad for further examination to know more of his mysterious disappearance even as three top governmental officials were summoned to the parliament, media reported Friday.

Home Minister Umar Naseer, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed have been summoned to the Majlis Security Services Committee Thursday, Haveeru online reported.

Rilwan, 28, a journalist with Minivan News, has been missing since Aug 8.

Police Thursday, in a press statement, said they have seized two cars and were inspecting both the cars.

"We have scanned approximately 267,197.5 sq m of ocean around Hulhumale sea area as well as the port. In addition, police have inspected a total of 18 vessels docked around Hulhumale(in Male)," the police statement said.

"Police has also detained the passports of four suspects that are primary to the investigation so that they cannot flee out of the country. Also, police are currently operating the mammoth task of analysing the 638,000 phone numbers that hit the cell towers in all the areas the missing person had last been seen on the night of his disappearance," it said.

Police have questioned 318 people and taken statements from 111.

They have also visited 77 apartments surrounding Rilwan's apartment where he lived alone in Hulhumale city, the statement said.

Rilwan had been last seen at 55 minutes past midnight Aug 8, inside the Hulhumale ferry terminal. His family has been looking for him since then.

Police said they have set up a special crime command team to investigate the disappearance of the journalist.