Maldives Customs Service has voiced concerns today that security of the country's borders is in a condition where even weapons can be brought in to the country undetected.
Maldives Customs Service has voiced concerns today that security of the country's borders is in a condition where even weapons can be brought in to the country undetected.
Speaking in today's meeting of the Parliament's Committee on Security Services (241 Committee), Assistant Commissioner of Customs Ismail Hamdhoon, who heads Enforcement and Border Security, said that the biggest challenge faced by Customs is the incapacity to properly monitor the Maldives' ocean territory.
Hamdhoon said that, at present, Customs Officers are stationed at ports, adding that vessels coming to the country are open to do as they please before they reach the ports.
He pointed out that Police, too, have run investigations into such vessels transferring illegal drugs to local vessels, who then take the drugs to conceal on uninhabited islands.
Hamdhoon emphasized that it is not only drugs that can be smuggled in in this manner.
"This is extremely worrying. There's just the need for someone to decide what they want. For example, no one has decided yet to bring in weapons. But if they do, the path to do so remains open," Hamdhoon said.
He stated that there is currently the opportunity to bring in any illegal goods to the Maldives, noting that cigarettes, drugs and other such items had been seized when brought to the ports.
He asserted that it is crucial to close the opportunities for such items to be dispersed to other areas without reaching the ports.
Hamdhoon said that Maldives, too, should adopt the systems used by other countries which similarly have large ocean territories. These countries strongly depend on air surveillance, he said, adding that Maldives too should begin using drones for this purpose.
Commissioner General of Customs Yoosuf Maniu Mohamed has said today that America and China have agreed to provide drones to Maldives for border surveillance. He said that these drones will be operated by Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)'s Air Corps.
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