49,000 locally made cigarette boxes discovered, sent to Economic Ministry for recommendation

A search of a private office in the Henveiru district of Malé City last January led police to discover 49,000 locally manufactured cigarette boxes, Maldives Police Service said today.

According to the agency, the goods were confiscated from H. Hulhugali building, and the case has been forwarded to the Economic Ministry for further action.

Police raided the apartment on January 30 executing a court warrant following a tip-off that cigarettes were being manufactured on the premises.

The next day, police said they seized 103 cardboard boxes from there, including boxes with tobacco as well.

A police spokesperson told Mihaaru News today that 49,000 boxes of cigarettes were recovered from the apartment, which was leased by a company named Radius.

Since then, a letter was sent to the Economic Ministry, seeking consultation on the business, the official said. However, no further information on this was available immediately.

According to the Tobacco Control Act, the manufacture of tobacco is prohibited in Maldives. However, some types of it can be imported into the country.

The Act defines "tobacco products" as tobacco, tobacco stems, nicotine and products containing them. Any substance containing any of these products in any quantity, whether inhaled or ingested, smelled or stuck on or applied to a part of the body or rubbed and prepared in a way that allows it to reach the body, is considered to be tobacco.