Supreme Court maintains Civil Court's decision to allow the state to retain gold that was imported to Maldives without declaring it to customs. The gold imported was worth MVR 1.1 million.
An Indian citizen had imported gold bars weighing 1.7 kg in 2014 hidden in the pockets of his jacket and the trousers. As the gold was imported with no prior declarations, Maldives Customs Services pressed charges under the Customs Law to claim the gold for the state. Previously, both Civil Court and High Court had maintained the order for the state to claim the gold as well.
When this case was appealed in the Supreme Court, the court had declared on Thursday all except duty free goods has to be declared before importing. The verdict stated that even though gold is not a prohibited good, if it is being imported without the due legal diligence being completed, the state has the right to hold the products under the Customs Law.
The verdict further states that not being informed of the laws is not a reason for leniency. Supreme Court said it is a traveller's responsibility to check the laws of the countries they are travelling to as well. The state deciding not to press criminal charges on the traveller is not a reason for the gold to be returned to him, Supreme Court said.
While Supreme Court has maintained that the state should retain the gold imported, Criminal Court had recently sentenced another Indian man to jail for importing gold to Maldives by swallowing it in order to hide it.
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