A Bangladeshi man has been arrested from Thilafushi, an industrial island in K. Atoll, in connection to the smuggling of dozens of cigarette cartons into the Maldives.
The arrest followed a raid on a ship at the Thilafushi boatyard at around 12:15 am on Friday, May 23. The police seized 32 cartons of Manchester brand cigarettes in the raid – cigarettes that the authorities believe were smuggled into the country.
The police identified the suspect arrested in the case as:
Abdul Kareem, 45, Bangladesh.
The investigation uncovered he has been living in the Maldives irregularly, added the police.
The police seize 32 cartons of Manchester brand cigarettes smuggled into the Maldives in a raid in K. Thilafushi on May 23, 2025. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
He was remanded in custody of the police for 15 days when presented before a court.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu launched a campaign against smoking last year, introducing a ban vapes and e-cigarettes, and doubling import duty and taxes on cigarettes.
 The move doubled the price of the most common cigarette brands from MVR 110 to MVR 240 per pack.
Tobacco importers and distributors raised the prices of cigarettes following this change, with the price of common cigarette brands rising between MVR 240 to MVR 290 per pack, and MVR 2,220 per carton.
While businesses initially reported a drop in the sale of cigarettes, there has been an increase in the sale of rolling tobacco and cheaper lower quality cigarette brands, as well as a surge in the smuggling of cigarettes.