A report by the Parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 Committee) has revealed that current PNC MP Mohamed Sirhan held shares in Exotic Enterprises during the period when fake cigarettes were imported by the company.

According to the report passed by Parliament today, the bonded warehouse used by Exotic Enterprises was registered with Maldives Customs. Initially, the shareholders of the company were listed as Lubna Hussain Manik and Abdulla Hassan.

However, records show that when Exotic Enterprises imported counterfeit cigarettes on 9 December 2023, its shareholders were Lubna Hussain Manik and Mohamed Sirhan, the current PNC MP for the Hithaadhoo constituency. Sirhan was elected to the Parliament in the 20th parliamentary elections held in April 2023.

The report further noted that the company’s board directors were Abdul Ahad Adnan and Mohamed Shareef. Following the smuggling of cigarettes from the bonded warehouse, the company’s shareholding structure was reportedly changed, with the shareholders transferred to other entities.

The 241 Committee’s findings are part of an ongoing investigation into the case involving the illegal import and disposal of counterfeit cigarettes through bonded warehouses.