Maldives Customs Seizes MVR 31.7 Million in Six-Year Crackdown on Financial Crimes

In a robust effort against financial crimes, Maldives Customs Service has confiscated a significant sum of MVR 31.7 million over the past six years, according to statistics released under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act.
Former Minister of Defense Mariya Ahmed Didi disclosed these findings in response to a query from Central-Maafannu MP Ibrahim Rasheed. The data, submitted last year and presented to the parliament on November 29, details the yearly breakdown of confiscated amounts.
In 2018, Customs recorded the highest confiscation at MVR 17.3 million, followed by MVR 5.2 million in 2017. The annual breakdown is as follows:

2015: MVR 1.34 million
2016: MVR 2.88 million
2017: MVR 5.18 million
2018: MVR 17.36 million
2019: MVR 2.85 million
2020: MVR 2.15 million

Additional amounts, without specified currencies, were also seized, ranging from MVR 16,800 in 2016 to MVR 3.4 million in 2019.
Customs reiterated that the seized funds each year were handed over to Maldives Customs Service for further investigation. These efforts underscore the commitment to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, reinforcing the nation's financial integrity.