A Bangladeshi national has been arrested following a raid on a premises suspected of selling vapes in Male'.
According to police, 27-year-old MD Abu Sufiyan was taken into custody last night on suspicion of running an illegal vape business.
During a search of his residence and the cafe' where he worked, authorities recovered 84 vape cartridges along with money believed to be obtained from vape sales.
A significant number of vapes were also seized from the shop.
The import and use of vapes have been banned in the Maldives since December 15 last year under the Tobacco Control Act.
The suspect arrested in the case
Previously, police did not have the authority to seize vapes, even when violations occurred. However, new regulations introduced by the Health Ministry last month now allow police to confiscate vaping devices and impose penalties on offenders.
Under the new regulations, individuals caught in possession of a vape device can be fined MVR 2,000, while those who refuse to hand them over to the police face a fine of MVR 50,000.
Vaping in public is punishable by a fine of MVR 5,000, and those who distribute vape devices for free may be fined MVR 10,000. Selling vapes carries a penalty of MVR 20,000, while selling them to individuals under the age of 21 results in a MVR 50,000 fine.