Six expatriates have been accused of money laundering in the case where they were apprehended at Velana International Airport attempting to traffic MVR 3.8 million in foreign currency out of Maldives, with them being remanded for 10 days.
Bangladeshi nationals Mohamed Mainuddin Salah, Rajib, Mohamed Abdulla, Ajgor Miridha, MD Mohiddin Chaudhry and MD Shahin Miah were arrested in connection to the case.
The police filed money laundering charges against all six of them, with some of them stating in court that they went to the airport to send someone off. The rest said they went to hand over a parcel and they were unaware what was inside.
Ajgor stated in court that he went to the airport to fly back to his home country after three years and that he is employed at an island with an MVR 7,000 salary. He said the luggage found to have foreign currency is Rajib's and that he checked in with Rajib because the luggage was beyond the weight limit. Ajgor said he does not know Rajib.
However, Rajib said that he was handed the luggage by Ajgor and that Ajgor would pay him for taking possession of the luggage. Shahin also stated that he went to the airport to hand over a parcel from Ajgor to another individual.
Police said yesterday they found foreign currency from 18 different countries, including USD 174,161, EUR 56,760 and GBP 1,815, with the total being around MVR 3.8 million.
The photo publicized by the police shows that the currency was hidden inside cereal packets.
While the government is taking many steps in stopping the USD black market, the Parliament passed an amendment to the Foreign Currency Act where 40 percent of the revenue generated in foreign currency by resorts and guesthouses is to be exchanged at banks every month.
The relevant government administrations have warned that severe steps would be taken against companies that engage in unauthorized USD exchange transactions, with expatriates in the business being arrested recently. Police raided the offices of a company that offered foreign currency exchange services illegally on a commercial basis for the first time on 1st September.
