Security Services Committee (241) to summon relevant authorities for questioning about cigarettes theft

The Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee) has decided to summon relevant government authorities regarding the case of over 13.6 million cigarettes, seized by Customs in April last year while being smuggled into the Maldives, that subsequently went missing while stored at the MPL harbor.

Parliament has scheduled a committee meeting for 2:00 PM next Sunday. The agenda states that the meeting is to hold discussions with relevant authorities concerning a case currently under the committee's review. The Parliament did not provide further details on the agenda.

However, Mihaaru News has learned that the committee meeting is being held concerning the case of the missing cigarettes, which were contained in two 40-foot containers smuggled into the Maldives on the night of April 26 last year, under the name of Saudi Arabia's Binladin Group.

Therefore, the committee has decided to summon and question senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Police, Customs, and MPL.

It is understood that the committee made this decision during a confidential meeting of the National Security Services Committee held two days ago.

Four individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the theft of 1,360 cases of cigarettes. The individuals suspected of planning the theft and funding the operation are Mohamed Waheed (Dhigali), owner of Apollo Company, and Ahmed Areef (Aattey), owner of Lotus stores. Of these, the court has remanded Waheed for 10 days and Areef for 15 days.

The others arrested in the case are Zivaaru Ismail, a senior Customs official working at Hulhumalé Port, and Muaz Ali, a former Senior Superintendent of Customs. The court yesterday remanded Zivaaru for 15 days and Muaz for five days.

Their remand orders state that Zivarau and Muaz are suspected of involvement in the "smuggling out operation" of the cigarette containers and actively participating in its planning and execution.

Both individuals have been suspended from their current posts at Customs and MIFCO in connection with the case. MPL, too, has suspended six of its employees.

The Police have also imposed a travel ban on 12 individuals regarding this matter.

According to Customs, the cigarettes smuggled into the Maldives were kept at the MPL Hulhumalé port for over a year without being destroyed because the investigation was still ongoing. Customs only realized the goods were missing on the night of the 8th of this month.

Customs stated that the total of 13.6 million cigarette sticks stolen, based on the standard duty price for the seized brands, would amount to MVR 122 million in duties.