The owner of 34,500 cigarette cartons stored in a private bonded warehouse in Malé has been fined more than MVR 40 million by the Maldives Customs Service after the cartons went missing.

The incident was discovered on December 28, and Home Minister Ali Ihsan confirmed the fine to One today. While the exact amount is not yet disclosed, the minister stated it exceeds MVR 40 million.

Customs has filed a police complaint regarding the disappearance, but no updates have been received about the progress of the investigation. Minister Ihsan explained that bonded warehouses operated by private parties allow owners to hold keys, with access granted in the presence of customs officials. However, in this case, the owner reportedly broke the lock and removed the items without customs' knowledge.

Following this incident, the government has revised its policy. Bonded warehouses will now only be allowed in locations under full customs control to prevent similar occurrences.