Contraband worth MVR 7M seized from Male’ under new anti-smoking laws

No-smoking signs. (Photo/Reuters)

Police have seized cigarettes and vaping devices worth over MVR 7 million from the Maldivian capital this year in operations conducted to enforce new anti-smoking laws.

Maldives introduced amendments to the Tobacco Control Act in 2024, prohibiting the import of vaping devices and e-cigarettes in November, and expanding the restriction in December to cover the sale, free distribution, and use of such products.

At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Head of Male’ Frontline Policing, Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed said the police in the capital conducted eight anti-smoking operations, leading to action against 15 individuals.

The contraband seized in these operations include:

44,866 packs of cigarettes
4,733 vapes
765 vape cartridges
93 kilos of rolling tobacco

According to Abdulla Rasheed, the street value of these items is estimated to be MVR 7,341,961.

Head of Male’ Frontline Policing, Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)

The police also seized MVR 294,240 in cash in these operations.

The legislative changes banning vapes introduced hefty fines for violations. This includes:

MVR 5,000 for use of vapes
MVR 20,000 for the sale of vape
MVR 50,000 for the sale of vape to a minor
MVR 10,000 per vaping device sold
MVR 10,000 for free distribution of vapes

The vape ban is part of larger smoking control measures implemented by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, which has also seen the doubling of import duty and taxes on cigarettes, and a smoking ban on the post-2007 generation.

The anti-smoking measures has earned Maldives global recognition. In May, President Muizzu received the World No-Tobacco Day Special Recognition Award from the World Health Organization (WHO), and on Wednesday, the Maldives received the Integrity Award from the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC).

Despite the global recognition for the measures, the ban on vapes and the subsequent doubling of import duty on cigarettes has created an illegal market where vapes and cheaper brands of cigarettes are being smuggled in and sold in the Maldives. This has also resulted in the loss of millions of Rufiya in import revenue.