Senior Sergeant Arrested Over Missing Cigarettes at Villimale' Police Station

A senior sergeant has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of cartons of cigarettes from the Villimale' Police Station. The suspect, identified as Munawwar Adam, 39, from Shabnameege, A.Dh. Dhigurah, has been suspended pending investigation. The Maldives Police Service and the National Integrity Commission are jointly investigating the case. Police revealed that 32 cartons of cigarettes seized from a foreigner on May 23 were stored at the station, but six cartons went missing. Additionally, 25 cartons seized from two foreigners on December 23 last year have also been reported missing. Authorities noted that cigarette smuggling and theft have become recurring issues, with two containers of cigarettes stolen from the Maldives Ports Limited Hulhumale' International Terminal on April 26.