Four suspects, including two businessmen and a senior customs official, were arrested on Tuesday night over the theft of two containers with 1,360 cigarette cases from the Hulhumalé port. The media identified them as Ahmed Arif 'Aattey,' owner of the Lotus bike shops, and Mohamed Waheed 'Dhigali,' CEO of Apollo Holdings. According to the police, a dozen suspects have been barred from traveling overseas and searches of vehicles and sites have been conducted since the theft was discovered on October 9. The 13.6 million sticks – which would have cost more than MVR 100 million (US$ 6.5 million) as import duties – had been concealed in a plywood shipment brought in by a subcontractor of the Saudi Binladin Group, the developer of the new airport terminal. It was seized by Customs on April 26 and kept in the custody of the Maldives Ports Limited at the high-security commercial harbour. According to details reported by Adhadhu, the elaborate heist had been planned over several weeks and executed in August by offloading the two 40-foot containers onto a boat and transporting them to Hulhumalé Phase 3. Security cameras were disabled or blocked and the stolen containers were replaced with identical ones, which were opened last week after cryptic text messages were sent to the home minister, customs chief and MPL boss. The containers were filled with old tyres and a photo with a profane meme mocking the authorities.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Dawood owns MVR 14.6 million worth of assets generated from suspicious funds deposited to his personal bank account between 2013 and 2014, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim revealed, citing information shared by whistleblowers for the POLCO corruption probe by parliament's public accounts committee. According to Nazim, who chairs a subcommittee reviewing audit reports on the scandal-plagued police housing project, Dawood collected rent from several apartments in Malé and Hulhumalé registered under family members. The senior office had also been named among the beneficiaries of stolen funds in the MMPRC embezzlement scheme, the ruling party lawmaker noted. Following the revelations in the committee report, Dawood – who denied earning any income that was not "halal" – was replaced by Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed as head of the Hulhumalé Police Command.
At Tuesday's PAC meeting, Nazim also raised corruption allegations against former police chief Mohamed Hameed over the purchase of body-worn cameras and tasers from a local company. According to Nazim, single-source procurement had been approved after the cancellation of an initial tender. Hameed later joined the same company after his retirement, raising “moral issues relating to professional conduct” despite the Anti-Corruption Commission having cleared him of wrongdoing in the initial awarding of the contract.
Ooredoo announced that PayPal payment services will be introduced in the Maldives next year under a strategic partnership with Fintech PayPal World. The collaboration will allow Maldivian consumers to shop with PayPal merchants and transfer funds between PayPal and Ooredoo’s m-Faisaa wallets, the local telco said. Maldivian businesses will also be able to sell products and services to overseas customers, it added. The economic ministry celebrated the announcement as an achievement in fulfilling President Muizzu’s pledge to introduce global payment services.
The Maldives Airports Company Ltd was enlisted to develop an airport in Shaviyani Komandoo after reclaiming 48 hectares of land within two and a half years. MACL has contracted foreign companies to hire three dredgers to carry out reclamation projects in Thaa Vilufushi, Hulhumalé Phase 3, Giraavaru, Uthuru Thilafalhu, Rasmalé and Haa Alif Dhidhdhoo in addition to three airport projects in Shaviyani atoll, President Muizzu said in Komandoo during his ongoing tour of the northern atoll.
Responding to questions from opposition MP Meekail Naseem, Economic Minister Saeed conceded that the Development Bank of Maldives inaugurated in November 2024 was not operational. But the government was making swift progress, he claimed. Saeed also revealed that income generated from offshore bunkering services launched last year stood at US$ 12.4 million, well below the minister's previous project of US$ 400 million in annual revenue.
The Prosecutor General’s Office withdrew charges raised against Athif Shakoor, former head of the central bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit, over his alleged failure to report suspicious transactions linked to the MMPRC corruption scandal. Athif will be issued a conditional warning, the PG office said, noting that the case had remained stalled since 2020.
The opposition MDP urged the government not to proceed with the October 25 public referendum in Addu until the questions could be clearly communicated and sufficient time is allowed to raise public awareness about the implications of the proposed creation of separate island councils for Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo and Feydhoo. Residents of Addu City should have ample opportunity to reflect, debate, and discuss the issue, the party said.
Heavy rainfall in the southern atolls caused flooding in Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo and Madaveli. Soldiers were deployed to drain flooded roads as the Thinadhoo council coordinated with disaster management authorities to assist affected households.
Under new immigration rules due to take effect from Wednesday, Maldivians travelling to Sri Lanka will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation at least 24 hours before departure. Recent changes to India’s immigration procedures meanwhile allow travellers to submit electronic arrival cards up to 72 hours prior to departure.
A record MVR 134 million annual budget was approved for the audit office.
Universal Resorts rebranded as VERSA Hospitality and launched a new hospitality lifestyle brand called NIVA Hotels & Resorts.
The Maldives national football team was defeated 3-0 by Tajikistan and lost qualification to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
