2 phone repair shops closed for selling illegal tobacco products

Two phone repair shops were closed on Tuesday for selling tobacco products, and an expatriate worker was taken into immigration custody, according to police.

Police said the action was taken as part of an operation targeting illegal traders. The operation was carried out jointly by the police, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA), Immigration, and Customs.

According to police, officers conducted 10 searches and ordered the closure of two establishments. One additional location was issued a notice to rectify identified issues. An expatriate worker was also detained by Immigration.

Police did not reveal the names of the shops involved, but photographs released by the police showed that the two closed establishments were phone repair shops. Such shops are often staffed by foreign workers.

Police said the shops had been selling illegal tobacco products, which were recovered from the premises.