Indian gets MVR 120,000 fine for smuggling two kilos of gold

Criminal Court has fined an Indian national who smuggled over two kilos of gold into the Maldives and ordered the seizure of the smuggled gold to the state.

The incident took place on June 11^th last year. The accused was charged with illegally smuggling goods into the Maldives.

The charges detailed that the defendant was searched by customs officers after their actions were deemed suspicious. In this regard, the gold was concealed by taping it to both their shins with masking tape. The two packets of gold that were taped weighed 2.755 kilos.

Pleading not guilty to the charges in response – the defendant said that information obtained via the internet showed gold as an item with zero percent duty attached. Therewith, the defendant stressed they did not commit a crime while the gold was not brought to the Maldives in secrecy.

However, halfway into the trial, the defendant changed their plea to guilty – following which a plea agreement was executed between the defendant and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The punishment for the defendant as per the agreement is the payment of MVR 120,000 to the state as fine within four days. Meanwhile, the smuggled gold will be seized to the state.

Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad, who presided over the case, based his judgment on the case in accordance with the plea agreement. The fine, therewith, will needs to be paid to Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) before Tuesday.