More than 4,000 cigarette cartons that were illegally made in a Henveiru household have been destroyed.

The cigarettes were seized in an operation conducted by the police in January 2026 regarding allegations of illegal cigarette production in an office that was established in an apartment in Henveiru, where a cigarette production machine had been set up.

Along with the cigarette cartons, 232 boxes of cigarettes and 93.60 kilograms of tobacco were seized in the operation. 

Police stated today that all of the above have been taken to Dhoonidhoo and destroyed. 

Police also said the seized items were destroyed under the supervision of the committee that was formed under the regulation put into place to destroy such items brought under police purview.

The amendment to the Tobacco Control Act brought about by the current government states that it is a crime to produce tobacco products in Maldives.