Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim has called for clarity regarding who will be held accountable for illegally importing a large quantity of cigarettes from a boat belonging to The Hawks company.

The Parliamentary Committee on Security Services (241 Committee) is currently investigating the case of cigarette smuggling from The Hawks' boat.

When contacted by One for more details on his recent comments during the 241 Committee meeting, MP Nazim, who is also part of the committee, stated that the Maldives Customs Service had informed the committee that 90 percent of the investigation into the case had been completed.

However, MP Nazim pointed out that the response from Customs regarding the prosecution was unclear. He noted that the reply indicated that once fingerprint and phone analysis reports from the police are received, they will request the Prosecutor General’s (PG) office to file charges.

MP Nazim expressed concern that it was not evident from the customs' response who exactly would be charged—whether it would be the staff, the sailors, The Hawks, or the ship’s captain.

"I want to know whether the charges are being made against The Hawks, the sailors, or the captain, but the response was not clear," Nazim said.

The committee has requested the Customs Service to provide a clearer explanation on the matter.