Another individual has been arrested in connection with the case of stolen cigarettes from two containers that were being held by Customs at the Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) harbor.

Police told "One Online" today that a 36-year-old Bangladeshi national, Mohammad Alamin Mia, was arrested on the 12th of this month in connection with the case. Police stated that when he was presented to court for a detention hearing, the court ordered him to be remanded in custody until the conclusion of his trial.

Including the arrested foreign national, there are now 10 individuals in police custody related to this case. Eight of them have been remanded until the conclusion of their trials, while two have been ordered by the court to be detained for 16 days.

  • Ahmed Arif (61), M. Evagglory - owner of Lotus
  • Muaz Ali (48), H. New Happiness - former Senior Superintendent of Customs
  • Zivar Ismail (40), Medhureege, HDh. Vaikaradhoo - Senior Customs Officer
  • Ahmed Firshan (35), H. Rumania / Male' - MPL employee
  • Adam Waheed (54), Canaryge / N. Miladhoo - suspected to be the captain of the vessel that transported the containers
  • Mohamed Waheed (65), Dhigali, B. Eydhafushi - owner of Apollo / also suspected of funding the theft
  • Hassan Abdurrahman (52), Link, K. Thulusdhoo
  • Mohammad Alamin Mia (36), Bangladeshi national

In a press statement released on the fourth of this month, police stated that those arrested include individuals who played leading roles in planning and executing the theft, those who actively participated in the theft, the captain who was operating the vessel used to transport the stolen containers, and others who were found through investigation to have been involved in various aspects of the operation.

According to the investigation findings, the two containers of cigarettes were stolen by preparing two identical containers, removing the original cigarette containers from the MPL terminal, and replacing them with the duplicates that were brought to the terminal by boat. The investigation also revealed that the name and registration number of the vessel used in the theft had been altered.

Police have searched 21 locations as part of their investigation into this case.

Police had previously stated that the two containers with cigarettes were transported by boat to Thilafushi, where they were destroyed, and parts of the containers were later found by police at a site in Thilafushi.

The case of the stolen cigarettes from the two containers at MPL's Hulhumale International Terminal was reported to the police on October 9.

According to available information, what was stolen were 1,360 cases of cigarettes contained in two 40-foot containers. This amounts to a total of 13,600,000 cigarette sticks. These cigarettes would have generated over MVR 100 million in import duties for the state.