Customs seeks legal action to recover MVR 68m over lost cigarettes
One bonded warehouse located in a residential house lost 34,500 cartons of cigarettes late last year.
The Maldives Customs Service has requested the Attorney General's Office to take legal action to recover MVR 68 million owed by two bonded warehouses following the loss of a large quantity of cigarettes.
According to a statement issued by Customs Tuesday, one bonded warehouse located in a residential house lost 34,500 cartons of cigarettes late last year. Customs is seeking to recover the amount owed due to this loss.
The statement outlined the amounts owed by the two warehouses:
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Exotic Enterprises: MVR 47.2 million.
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SGM: MVR 20.7 million.
Customs has cancelled the registration of both warehouses. The police are conducting a criminal investigation into the missing goods.
Bonded warehouses operate with two locks—one held by Customs and the other by the owner of the goods. The warehouse can only be accessed in the presence of both parties.
Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihsan previously stated that the case includes allegations of tampering with or destroying the warehouse lock without Customs’ knowledge.
“We [Customs] requested an audit, but the owners did not cooperate. When we attempted an inspection, permission was not granted. We then engaged with the owner of the warehouse,” the minister said.
