In addition to Aatte, four more detained pending trial in cigarette theft case

The Criminal Court today ordered the detention pending trial of five more individuals arrested in connection with the theft of over 13.6 million cigarettes that were seized by Customs in April and stored at the MPL Hulhumalé Port.

Those ordered to be detained pending the conclusion of the trial today include:

Aatte, Muaz, and Zivaar were ordered to be detained pending trial after their 15-day remand period, ordered on October 15, expired today. Adam Waheed, the boat captain, was ordered to be detained pending trial after his initial seven-day remand expired. Firushan, who works at MPL Hulhumale' Port, was ordered to be detained pending trial after his initial five-day remand expired.

Another prominent businessman arrested in this case, in addition to Aatte, is Mohamed Waheed (Dhigali), the owner of Apollo Holdings. He was also ordered to be detained pending trial by the Criminal Court on October 25. Dhigali was initially given a 10-day remand, but upon its expiry, the court ordered his detention pending trial.

Dhigali and Aatte are suspected of funding the operation to illegally remove the two 40-foot containers, holding over 13.6 million cigarettes, from the MPL Hulhumale' Port storage area.

With the detention pending trial of Aatte, Muaz, Zivaar, Adam Waheed, and Firushan, along with Hassan Abdurahman (K. Thulusdhoo, Link), who is suspected of assisting in the theft, a total of seven out of the nine suspects arrested in connection with the cigarette theft case have been ordered to be detained pending trial.

The most recent arrests in the case of the smuggled cigarettes, which were brought in under the name of Saudi Arabia's Binladin Group, were three MPL employees suspected of assisting in the theft:

Of these three, Shameem and Saamih were ordered by the court to be held in custody for seven days for investigative purposes, starting last Saturday. All three MPL employees were suspended from their jobs at MPL starting October 6, in connection with the theft.

The list of the nine people arrested so far in connection with the theft of the over 13.6 million cigarettes seized by Customs on April 26 and stored at the MPL Port is as follows:

1.      Mohamed Waheed (Dhigali), owner of Apollo Company - Detained pending trial

2.      Ahmed Aarif (Aatté), owner of Lotus stores - Detained pending trial

3.      Zivaar Ismail, senior Customs employee working at Hulhumalé Port - Detained pending trial

4.      Muaz Ali, former Senior Superintendent of Customs - Detained pending trial

5.      Hasan Abdurahman, suspected of assisting in the theft - Detained pending trial

6.      Adam Waheed, captain of the vessel that transported the two containers - Detained pending trial

7.      Ahmed Shameem, MPL employee - Seven-day remand not yet expired

8.      Ahmed Firushan, MPL employee - Detained pending trial

9.      Hussain Saamih, MPL employee - Seven-day remand not yet expired

The police previously stated that 12 people have been banned from leaving the Maldives for the purpose of this investigation. MPL stated that six of its employees have been suspended.

The two 40-foot containers illegally imported into the Maldives contained 1,360 cases of cigarettes, totaling 13.6 million cigarette sticks. Customs estimated that the total duty payable for the confiscated brands, based on general prices, would amount to MVR 122 million.

Customs previously stated that the cigarette cartons, which were being smuggled into the country in a plywood shipment, were discovered during an operation at the Hulhumalé Sea Cargo Terminal after receiving intelligence. Customs stated that the containers were kept under MPL's custody at the Hulhumalé Port because the investigation into the illegal import had not yet been concluded and forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office. Customs became aware of the theft on the night of October 8.