Maldives Immigration, on Friday, deported an expatriate for alleged money laundering.
Immigration identified the man as Bangladeshi national Abu Hanif, responsible for allegedly coordinating a large-scale money laundering business.
Hanif was apprehended at Velana International Airport (VIA) and subsequently deported. The man entered Maldives in 2014 as a carpenter for Biyaadhoo Island Resort.
Recent deportations have raised eyebrows within the public sphere, citing the issue as a failure to address the root cause of immigrants operating in violation of their work visas.
Immigration's Spokesperson stated that although he was deported based on violations regarding his employment permit, the institution maintains claims of money laundering against Hanif.
Immigration revealed that 63,000 of the 144,607 expatriates living in Maldives under a work visa do not possess the proper documentation.