Hawks denies involvement in cigarette smuggling, suspends staff

Hawks on Monday denied any involvement in the alleged smuggling of cigarettes into the Maldives, after a large quantity of Manchester brand cigarette cartons was found on a Hawks oil-carrying ship.

The company has taken action against several employees implicated in the incident.

In a statement issued Monday, Hawks clarified that it is not involved in the import of tobacco products and has no business interests in this sector. It emphasised that the company focuses on its oil trading activities.

“Hawks operates as a transparent business and will fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for this incident,” the company stated.

According to Hawks, an internal administrative investigation has been launched, which revealed that several employees misused company resources for illegal activities, as captured in camera footage. The company has suspended the implicated employees and reported them to the relevant investigative authorities.

Hawks highlighted its workforce of over 900 employees from 10 countries and expressed surprise at the actions of a few individuals. The company reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards illegal activities and stated that it is strengthening internal controls to prevent future misuse of resources.

Hawks also addressed a police raid that took place last Friday night at the company’s boatyard in Thilafushi. Although the police conducted the search without a warrant, the company permitted officers to remain on-site until the necessary order was obtained.

Customs has recovered more than 84,000 boxes of smuggled cigarettes, with searches still ongoing, the agency announced Sunday.

The operation, which began last Friday, led to the seizure of 1.695 million cigarette sticks so far, equivalent to:

According to Customs, the estimated value of these items stands at MVR 8.5 million, calculated at MVR 100 per box.

The items were brought in by a ship named MT Hawks Jewelle, which arrived in the Maldives on Thursday under the representation of Hawks.

Customs reported that the cigarettes were transferred to Thilafushi on a Hawks-owned vessel. The cigarettes were then unloaded from the vessel and loaded onto a truck registered under the company’s name, with the incident taking place around 10 pm on Friday.