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Whether the number of drug barons in the Maldives is six, or ten, or fifty or even hundred depends solely on how one defines a drug baron. For example if one defined a drug baron as someone who had more than $1,000,000 in assets believed to be the proceeds from illicit drug trafficking, then the alleged second drug baron, who was recently arrested by the police, won't qualify as one. But if the defining limit was set at $500,000 he could be one. And if one set the limit at $50,000, there could be more than 100 barons.
Statistically speaking one should set the defining limit at such a level that the drug barons so identified would collectively be responsible for most of the drug trade, say more than 75%. If one ignores this precaution, one could end up in an embarrassing situation where all the barons are arrested and the drug trade continues 'business as usual'.
In the run up to the parliamentary elections, President's Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that arresting the six drug barons would effectively stop the supply of narcotics into the Maldives. We hope he is right.
