Officer Removed as Police Probe MVR 2 Million Sea Cucumber Embezzlement Case

Police have removed an officer from investigation duties in connection with the alleged embezzlement of sea cucumbers worth MVR 2 million from a warehouse in K. Thilafushi. 

In a message sent to the media, the police said that both a criminal probe and an internal administrative inquiry is ongoing involving the removed officer. 

The case was reported on 31 December 2025 and centres on the alleged fraudulent removal of sea cucumbers from a warehouse two days earlier. While investigators continue to examine the criminal aspects of the case, the Police Professional Standards Command has launched a separate administrative investigation concerning the officer’s conduct.

Authorities previously stated that suspects allegedly deceived the rightful owner on 29 December and moved the goods to another location. During the investigation, police traced the items to Malé, where they were being stored in two separate houses. Officers seized the goods under a court order.

The confiscated sea cucumbers weighed 1,438 kilograms in total, including 787.35 kg of species strictly prohibited for export from the Maldives. Police also found that the individuals involved did not hold the required permits under the Regulation on the Management and Organisation of Sea Cucumber Fisheries (Regulation No: R-3/2025).

Following the seizure, both the complainant and the suspect claimed ownership of the goods. As some of the items had already begun to spoil, police sought advice from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), which recommended selling the perishable goods through a competitive public auction. The proceeds will be held by police until the investigation or court proceedings conclude, after which the funds will be released to the party legally determined to be the rightful owner.

On 26 January 2026, the suspect filed a case at the Criminal Court seeking the return of the goods. The Court ruled that there was no legal barrier preventing police from retaining the property and found no grounds to grant the request.