Unsanitary food operation uncovered; 18 expatriates detained

Eighteen expatriates have been detained after authorities discovered food being prepared for large scale sale inside an unsanitary residential building including in a bathroom.

Immigration said the arrests were made during a raid conducted by the taskforce targeting undocumented migrant workers.

Officers searched a premises used for food production as well as four accommodation blocks housing foreign workers.

Inside the facility, expatriates were found preparing fried leaves, masmirus, dried fish and a variety of snacks. Photos released by Immigration showed rihaakuru chips and gulha packets labelled under the brand “Aliko Investment”, a name commonly seen in shops across Male'.

Food were seen prepared to be packed on top of bunk beds and using a toilet area as a cooking space, where a stove and pots had been set up. Ingredients, including chopped onions, were placed on flour sacks, while fried snacks were kept in large bowls and cardboard boxes.

Immigration has recently intensified raids on apartments and houses used by foreign workers to produce food in unhygienic conditions, detaining several individuals.

The agency said 8,609 undocumented migrants have been deported over the past two years. It added that recent operations have exposed multiple unsafe and unhygienic workspaces to the public.