A customs officer has been suspended for his involvement in smuggling cigarettes into the Maldives.

Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on Security Services on Customs operations, Commissioner General of Customs Yoosuf Maniu said that a container of cigarettes as well as a large number of cigarettes attempted to be smuggled by air cargo were seized by the customs.

He said some of the shipment had been released into the city to find those involved as it would not be known who was involved if the items were seized directly from the point.

He revealed that their investigation had led them to find those who were behind the smuggling operation.

The customs officer suspended in the case was the officer near the scanning machine, he said.