Customs seizes illegally imported vehicles

Cars and motorbikes were found in two containers imported as timber.

Customs seize 2.5kg of heroin

It was found in the luggage of two men who arrived from India and Sri Lanka.

Maldives customs recalls beverage with alcohol vapour

Gerstel beer was found to contain 0.3 percent alcohol vapour.

Ecstasy seized from postal packages

The drugs were posted from Europe.

Customs lost US$1.4m lawsuit after state changed stand

The Attorney General’s office backed a tobacco importer’s claim in a tariff dispute.

Ecstasy pills found in postal package

The 1,943 MDMA pills were concealed inside a wireless speaker posted from Belgium.

Maldives customs seize 7 kilos of cannabis

The drugs were found in the luggage of two Bangladeshis.

Pork and booze pile destroyed

The sale of alcohol and pork is prohibited by law in inhabited islands as the consumption of alcohol and pork is forbidden in Islam. However, both liquor and pork are imported to the Maldives for tourist resorts.

Hiking tobacco tariffs to discourage smoking called into question

A record 200 percent import duty hike in 2012 failed to reduce demand and the number of cigarettes imported to the Maldives increased to 497 million in 2016 from 460 million the previous year despite a further hike in April 2015 that jacked up prices to MVR48 a pack.

Customs seize 2kg of cocaine

Customs officers seized 2.153kg of cocaine from the luggage of a Bolivian woman who arrived in the Maldives last Monday. Passenger clearance officers at the airport checked her bag and found the drugs after her behaviour aroused their suspicions.

Drugs worth MVR7.5m seized at sea

A large drug haul with an estimated street value of MVR7.5 million (US$486,000) was seized on July 9 from a boat en route to Malé from the Indian port of Tuticorin.

President nominates members to National Integrity Commission

The new oversight body was formed on October 6 to replace the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and the Customs Integrity Commission (CIC) under a law passed by the parliament in late August. The four nominees are Yousuf Maaniu Mohamed, former head of the CIC, Mohamed Farhad, former vice president of the PIC, Hassaan Hameed, and Khadheeja Abdulla.

Police dogs to be used at airport and seaports

Civil Court rules customs has authority to confiscate imported goods

Authorities pass responsibility for decision to destroy confiscated animals

Police commence special operation to confiscate dangerous animals

Slow loris to be euthanised as Environment Ministry runs out of options

Government continues plans for first 100 days

State to appoint lawyer for Filipino woman charged with smuggling three kilos of cocaine

Customs seize 104 bullet sized packets containing illegal drugs