Parliament’s Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee) has alleged that incumbent Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen met visited the home of shareholders of the company when Maldives Police Service launched an investigation into the smuggling of 200 cartons of cigarettes on a vessel belonging to The Hawks, one of the country’s top importers and distributors of fuel.
The shipment of 200 master cartons of Manchester cigarettes had been discovered in one of Hawks’ ships during a raid by Maldives Customs on the company’s boatyard in K. Thilafushi on October 25, 2024.
In a statement in October, Hawks said it has suspended the employees found to have been involved in smuggling the cigarette cartons, without specifying a number. It also insisted that the company had zero involvement in the smuggling racket, and was cooperating fully with the authorities.
The police said Hawks is under investigation for the crime of smuggling under Article 97 of Maldives Customs Act and the crime of money laundering under Article 53 of the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act.
241 Committee is probing the delays in action against The Hawks in connection with the case.
During Tuesday’s Committee meeting, lawmakers expressed concern over the stalled investigation into the case, which is linked to national security.
According to Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim, as a result of the Committee investigating the case, Customs have requested smuggling charges against The Hawks with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO). However, he raised concerns over the PGO’s failure to file charges even after two months. Nazim also claimed that the Police have not initiated a money laundering investigation related to the case, despite being directed to do so.
Nazim shared some of the Committee’s findings following their investigation into the case, noting that several alarming issues had come to light. These include:
Customs was aware of allegations that The Hawks had been illegally smuggling goods into the Maldives for the past two years
A Custom official stating foreign vessels entering the Maldives have the opportunity to covertly smuggle items into any part of the country — even weapons, if that were their intent.
Customs officials indicated that the authority lacks the necessary capacity to fulfill its legal responsibilities effectively
Customs initially submitted a timeline to the Committee that contained incorrect information, which had to be corrected and resubmitted under the supervision of the Commissioner General of Customs
Committee has received photos and videos of incumbent Police Commissioner Naveen visiting the home of The Hawks’ shareholders while the investigation was ongoing
Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen alongside Ministry officials visited The Hawks’ site in Thilafushi
The Committee’s report, citing Customs officials, said The Hawks’ ship turned off its automatic identification system after entering the Maldives and was next found 24 hours later while smuggling in cigarette cartons
“The case is stalled because of the extent money and corruption is involved. Why cannot the Prosecutor General investigate the case with this much evidence? Is there a reason it cannot be investigated? Prosecutor General is paid to do this,” Hanimadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor stressed.
Lawmakers called to expedite the investigation into the case while attributing the delays to undue influence.