MP Claims Proceeds of Major Cigarette Theft Were Spent on Gambling

The Vice-President of Parliament and Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim has alleged that money from the disappearance of more than 13.6 million seized cigarettes was spent on gambling, as lawmakers debated a bill to criminalise gambling and the operation of gambling establishments.

Speaking during debate in the People’s Majlis today, Nazim said gambling was widespread in the Maldives and claimed recent high-profile thefts illustrated the scale of the problem.

Referring to what he described as the country’s largest cigarette theft, Nazim said those involved gambled the proceeds in an attempt to make further profits but ultimately lost the money. He alleged that separate companies were used to deposit gambling profits and that some domestic companies were supporting betting and gambling operations.

According to Nazim, small deposits were being made into players’ bank accounts in a way that made the transactions difficult for Maldivian banks to detect. He added that banks had begun blocking cards to prevent access to betting and gambling websites, and said the purpose of the bill was to provide a legal basis to address such activities and find a lasting solution.

Several individuals were arrested in connection with the cigarette theft case, including Lotus shop owner Ahmed Arif and Apollo Holdings owner Mohammed Waheed. They were later released at the request of the Prosecutor General.

Opposition MP Hussain Ziyad told Parliament that the Finance Committee had investigated a case involving a managing director of a state-owned enterprise who allegedly gambled with company funds. While he did not name the individual, he said reports indicated the committee had examined a case in which a government-owned company appeared to have lost around US$250,000. The matter is reportedly linked to Maldives Gas, which failed to determine what happened to an advance payment made for a gas shipment.

Another opposition MP, Dr Ahmed Shamheed, said the proposed legislation needed to more clearly define and detail the offence of gambling. He argued that the current bill did not sufficiently clarify what constituted a gambling offence.

Despite raising concerns about the drafting of the law, opposition MPs expressed overall support for the bill, signalling broad parliamentary backing for tighter legal controls on gambling in the Maldives.

The amendment bill was submitted to Parliament on behalf of the government by Member of Parliament Ahmed Azaan Marzooq.

Under the proposed changes, gambling and operating gambling establishments would be classified as fourth-degree criminal offences. The bill sets out penalties ranging from a minimum of four months’ imprisonment to a maximum of four years, depending on the severity of the offence.