The Maldives Customs Service intercepted more than 8,000 cartons of cigarettes illegally shipped into the country on a fuel tanker operated by Hawks, one of the nation’s leading fuel importers and distributors, reports The Edition.
Under a court order, authorities subsequently searched the Hawks Boatyard on suspicion that more cigarette cartons may be stored there. “So far in this operation, approximately 1,695 million cigarette sticks of Manchester brand have been found during the search of Hawks Boatyard, in the accommodation block and workshop,” the customs service wrote in a statement.
The agency said that the cigarettes were brought in on MT Hawks Javaahiru and taken to Thilafushi on a local boat owned by the company, which was unloaded after regular business hours.
A senior Hawks official told Mihaaru News that company management was not involved in the smuggling operation. “We are also hearing that this was done by some employees in connection with some foreigners,” he was quoted as saying. “Our management only learned of this when police also came with a court order to search the premises,” the official said.
The official said Hawks was cooperating with authorities and would conduct an internal investigation.