Maldives used as transit hub for goods bound for Russia, WSJ reports
According to the report, cargo arriving at Velana International Airport remains in transit and does not formally enter the Maldives.
The Maldives has been used as a transit route for hundreds of millions of dollars in goods bound for Russia, including restricted and dual-use products, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The report, published this week, said aircraft parts, microchips, electronic components and optical equipment originating from the United States, Europe and China have passed through Velana International Airport before being sent to Russia.
Some of the products are classified as dual-use goods, meaning they can have both civilian and military applications. According to the report, components routed through the Maldives can be used in equipment including drones, communications systems and other military technology.
The WSJ investigation was based on shipping documents, trade data and interviews with officials and people involved in cargo operations.
According to the report, cargo arriving at Velana International Airport remains in transit and does not formally enter the Maldives. Goods are transferred between aircraft after customs procedures based largely on documentation.
Shipping documents reviewed by the WSJ showed that the original exporting company and intended buyer were listed when cargo first arrived in the Maldives. Local intermediaries then issued new documentation for the Malé-to-Moscow leg that did not identify the original seller, according to the report.
The cargo was then loaded onto Aeroflot flights operating from Malé to Moscow.
The WSJ named Maldivian companies Freight Care and Go Investment among businesses appearing in shipping documents connected to the transit operations.
Freight Care Managing Director Hussain Waheed confirmed to the newspaper that the company handled transit cargo destined for Russia, but denied knowingly facilitating shipments of goods that could be used to manufacture weapons.
Some goods that passed through the route were later distributed to Russian entities subject to sanctions, including airline S7 and companies involved in maintaining its aircraft, according to the investigation.
Trade figures cited by the WSJ show an increase in the value of goods recorded by Russia as imports from the Maldives following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Data compiled by US-based trade research firm Import Genius showed that Russian imports recorded as originating from the Maldives increased from less than USD 7 million in 2021 to more than USD 630 million in 2022.
The figure stood at about USD 160 million in 2024, before access to parts of Russia’s trade data was restricted.
The figures contrast with Maldives customs data, which recorded only about USD 2,300 in tuna and USD 25 in printed material as exports to Russia between 2022 and 2025. The difference reflects the treatment of the goods as transit cargo rather than imports into and exports from the Maldives.
The Maldives route remains smaller than other channels used to move restricted goods into Russia. China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates together account for about USD 15 billion in restricted imports to Russia annually, according to figures cited in the report.
The WSJ reported that US and European officials have raised concerns about the route as Western governments seek to restrict Russia’s access to goods subject to sanctions and export controls.
The report said Maldivian authorities are aware of concerns surrounding the trade, while limitations in customs resources and the level of physical inspection applied to transit cargo have created gaps in oversight.
