Police has detained eight expatriate workers on Friday evening following a raid operation conducted in Hulhumale' Phase 1 over suspicions of illegal takeaway coffee stand operations.
Maldives Immigration has detained eight expatriate workers operating illegal takeaway coffee stands in Hulhumale', into their custody last night.
In a post on social platform X Immigration said that on Friday evening, the 'Joint Task Force' conducted a raid operation in Hulhumale' Phase 1 targeting illegal expatriates suspected of running takeaway coffee shop businesses. They assured that the expatriates have now been detained and the case is under further investigation.
Illegal business activities by expatriates have been gradually escalating in both Male' City and Hulhumale' as well, particularly coffee shop businesses. Among these, most expatriates operate coffee shops nearby the Hulhumale' ferry terminal.
Immigration had also conducted a similar operation last weekend in Male' City in collaboration with the police. The operation, which had focused on illegal business activities in the local marketplace in Male' as well as other markets in the city, had seen 50 expatriates taken into immigration custody.
Yesterday evening, the 'Joint Task Force' conducted a raid operation in Hulhumale' Phase 1 targeting illegal expatriates suspected of running takeaway coffee shop businesses. Eight expatriates were detained for further investigation.@min_mohst @HomeMinistrymv @ShamaanW pic.twitter.com/fbEr8QWOMA
— Maldives Immigration (@ImmigrationMV) July 6, 2024
As part of the operation last week, authorities targeted the local market operating from Majeedhee Magu to the market near Villa Mart and the market near the PSM office on Ameenee Magu. The raid revealed that these locations were packed with expatriates running businesses illegally. Both markets were shut down following Immigration's arrest of nearly all individuals operating businesses at these stalls.
Immigration Controller Mohamed Shamaan Waheed said that those detained during last week's raid included some who were running businesses without an official permit as well as people running additional businesses besides those specified in their issued permit.
"And these people will be deported from Maldives in compliance with the policies," said Shamaan.
Although stationing expatriates as shop clerks is prohibited, this practice continues to be observed in countless businesses.
While multiple operations are conducted to identify undocumented immigrants, several such expatriates had previously been deported from the country as well. Immigration stated that during the past seven months of this administration, nearly 1,800 expatriates were deported from the country.
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