Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusan has stated today that it has come to authorities' notice that there are expatriates involved in illegal dollar trading, as well as dollar smuggling. 

In a press conference held at the President's Office today, Ihusan said that individuals who receive their income in dollars are legally only allowed to exchange those funds through banks or authorized money exchange services. 

However, police investigations have found that some persons who receive pay in dollars are selling it to businesses who do not hold money exchange permits, Ihusan said. 

The minister reminded the public that this is a criminal offence as per the country's laws. He added that using the proceeds of a criminal act such as for personal use would be considered money laundering. 

Information received via the hotline indicates that expatriates are involved in this practice to a large extent, the minister said. Investigations are ongoing against 12 persons involved in such acts at a large scale, Ihusan said, adding that nine of them are currently in detention. 

The minister went on to say that when expatriates are taken into police custody, Maldivians responsible for bringing them into the country often come to the authorities. Ihusan expressed concerns that such persons only respond after the expatriates are arrested, rather than proactively monitoring the actions of expatriates under their care.

"Once we detain an expatriate, a Maldivian will come and say, hey, that's our family's cook. But what the expatriate actually does is 'cook' dollars on the streets night and day," Ihusan said. 

"We have take more responsibility than this. If we bring in an expatriate into the country, we cannot just let them loose on the streets and not monitor what they are doing, only to come and claim they're our domestic help, or our driver, once law enforcement arrests them," Ihusan said. 

The minister went on to say that action will also be taken against Maldivians who are found through the investigation to have been negligent in regards to expatriates. Such individuals will face a fine of MVR 50,000, he added. 

Ihusan asserted that the failure of previous governments to properly enforce laws is not a license for individuals to disregard or break laws. 

"They are brought in within the law, the permits are also granted within the law. But they act in violation of these permits. The responsibility for this must be borne by the person who brought them into the country as well."

Ihusan further revealed that authorities have found that expatriates are operating corner shops, through which they also conduct unauthorized money exchange services. Dollars obtained through such establishments are then being smuggled, he added. 

"We are seeing them making corner shops, and expatriates run these shops and operate them as unlicensed money exchange services. When they receive salaries, they deposit it into business accounts opened under a Maldivian's name. Then they withdraw dollars from this daily, convert cash into dollars, collect all these dollars and smuggle it out of the country, we are getting such hits at the border now," Ihusan said. 

Ihusan warned that persons engaging in such activities will be identified. If such activities are conducted through using Maldivians as a cover, then the Maldivian too will have to face legal action, he said. 

He reiterated his calls to locals to refrain from getting involved in such illegal actions.