Police seek public assistance in search for stolen cigarettes

Maldives Police Service last night appealed to the public to report any information related to over 13.6 million cigarettes stolen from two containers that were seized by Customs and stored at MPL Hulhumalé Port last April.

Nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft so far.

In a statement, the police said they require information regarding the whereabouts of the more than 13.6 million cigarettes that were in the two 40-foot containers stored at the MPL Hulhumalé port. They also seek information on parties widely involved in the trade of cigarettes without the required import permits in Maldives.

Police urged anyone with information to call the Major Crime Investigation number 9911099 to share details.

The stolen containers held Manchester-brand cigarettes, which were packaged without local mandatory health warning labels, suggesting they were intended for illegal sale in the Maldives.

Police launched an investigation on the night of the 8th of last month after the theft of the two containers was reported. 

The two individuals whose remand was extended on November 1st and were ordered to be detained for an additional 16 days are:

·         Hussain Samih, 35, from Chaandhaneege, S. Hithadhoo.

·         Ahmed Shaheem, 42, from Nooraleege, HDh. Vaikaradhoo.

These two are suspected of aiding the theft as MPL employees.

Another MPL employee, Ahmed Firsan, 35, from H. Rumeinia, has also been remanded pending trial.

The nine individuals arrested on suspicion of involvement in the theft include two prominent businessmen: Mohamed Waheed (Dhigali), owner of Apollo Holdings, and Ahmed Aarif (Aattey), owner of Lotus. They are suspected of funding the operation to steal the cigarette containers.

Police initially stated that 12 individuals had travel bans imposed in connection with this case. However, in their statement last night, police confirmed that the travel ban has been extended to 19 individuals.

The investigation has been significantly broadened, including the search of five vessels and 21 locations across Malé, Hulhumalé, and Thilafushi.

The police revealed details of how the two containers of cigarettes were stolen from the MPL Hulhumalé port.

Police stated that the two cigarette containers were stolen from the MPL Hulhumalé Port after exact replicas of the containers were manufactured in Thilafushi.

The original containers of cigarettes were removed from the port and replaced with the identical dummy containers, which were brought into the port on a boat.

The police further stated that their investigation revealed the original containers were transferred to Thilafushi, and the name and registration number of the boat used in the theft were changed.

"Furthermore, the investigation found that the two containers containing cigarettes were transferred onto a vessel and taken to Thilafushi, where they were dismantled. The police have since recovered parts of the containers from a site in Thilafushi," the police statement read. 

The replicas were painted the same blue color and had the exact same numbers and labels as the original containers. The construction of the replicas was reportedly supervised by one individual at a site in Thilafushi. It is understood that this land was being sought for purchase by one of the now-arrested businessmen, though the legal acquisition process was incomplete.

The 13.6 million cigarettes from the two containers were reportedly removed from their cases and dumped into jumbo bags.

The two 40-foot containers illegally imported into Maldives held 1,360 cases of cigarettes, totaling 13.6 million cigarettes. Customs had stated that the duty for this amount of seized cigarettes, based on the standard price for the brands, would amount to MVR 122 million.

Customs had previously stated that the containers were being held under MPL's custody at the Hulhumalé Port because the investigation into the illegal import of the cigarettes was still ongoing and had not yet been forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office.