PG cites insufficient evidence to charge Hawks over cigarettes

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has stated that charges have not been filed against Hawks in connection with the seizure of 2,000 cartons of cigarettes last year, due to insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.

The case stems from an incident in late October 2024, when Maldives Customs Service confiscated 2,000 cartons of cigarettes from the Hawks Jewellery vessel. Seventeen individuals and the company were named as suspects in the matter.

According to a statement released by the PGO, eleven Indian nationals and two Bangladeshi nationals entered into a counsel agreement on 4 May 2025, admitting involvement and agreeing to cooperate with the investigation and any ongoing or future legal proceedings. As part of the agreement, they were not prosecuted.

Three additional suspects—Adam Rameez, Mohamed Naseer, and Mohamed Didi—were formally charged on 8 May 2025 with smuggling goods into the country.

However, the PGO confirmed that the case files concerning Ismail Adam and Hawks were returned to the Maldives Customs Service, as there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal offence. The PGO noted that although the matter was returned, the time limit to pursue charges against the company had not yet expired.

The police are currently conducting a separate criminal investigation into the case. The PGO stated that it will reassess the possibility of prosecuting the company based on the outcome of that inquiry.

Hawks has previously denied any involvement in the smuggling, stating that it was unaware of any such activities and expressing surprise that its employees had allegedly attempted to smuggle cigarettes using company resources.

Customs initially seized 200 cartons of cigarettes during the inspection of the vessel.