Crime in the Maldives

Crime in the Maldives ranks from low to moderate, but crime rates in the country have increased significantly in recent years. Incidents of theft on beaches or in hotels do occur. Juvenile delinquency is a growing problem in the Maldives. According to the data available from the Ministry of Defence and National Security, there has been an increase in petty crime in the country. In 1992, 169 cases of petty crime were reported, while the number was 462 in 1996. The number of sentenced persons under the age of 19 also increased from 391 in 1988 to 512 in 1998. Fraud examiner Peter Lilley in his book Dirty Dealing writes that money laundering is not a significant problem in the Maldives.