Maldives Customs Service has seized foreign currency worth more than MVR 900,000 from an Indian national attempting to leave the country without declaring the money to customs authorities.
In a statement issued on Monday night, Customs said the currency was discovered during an inspection of a passenger departing the Maldives last Wednesday.
The seized banknotes, which included currencies from several countries, had a combined value equivalent to MVR 905,669.80.
According to Customs, the passenger had not declared the funds before attempting to take them out of the country, in violation of applicable customs requirements.
The authority did not disclose the exact amounts held in each currency or provide further details about the passenger’s intended destination.
It also remains unclear whether the individual has been arrested or whether additional legal proceedings have been initiated.
The latest seizure comes amid intensified efforts by Maldivian authorities to identify individuals involved in illegal foreign currency trading and prevent undeclared cash from being transported across the country’s borders.
Authorities have reported an increase in foreign currency interceptions involving expatriates departing the Maldives, raising concerns over the movement of large amounts of cash outside regulated financial channels.
The latest incident follows a significantly larger seizure last month, when authorities intercepted foreign currency worth approximately MVR 3.86 million at Velana International Airport.
In that case, six Bangladeshi nationals preparing to travel to Bangladesh were found carrying cash concealed inside cereal packets.
The incident occurred on September 18, with the seized funds subsequently valued at MVR 3,861,415.29.
Police previously confirmed that the confiscated money included USD 174,161, EUR 56,760 and GBP 1,815, alongside other foreign banknotes.
Altogether, the cash comprised currencies from 18 countries.
The concealment of the money inside food packaging drew attention to the methods used to transport large amounts of foreign currency without attracting scrutiny during departure procedures.
Both incidents come as the Maldives continues efforts to strengthen oversight of foreign currency transactions and address unauthorised currency trading.
The movement of undeclared cash across international borders is subject to customs scrutiny, particularly where authorities suspect violations of currency declaration requirements or other financial regulations.
Cash declaration procedures are intended to provide authorities with information about large cross-border movements of money and help identify potentially unlawful financial activity.
However, the discovery of undeclared currency does not, by itself, establish that the money originated from illegal trading or other criminal activity.
The Maldives has faced longstanding challenges surrounding access to foreign currency and the operation of informal currency exchange markets, making enforcement against unauthorised trading an area of concern for financial and law enforcement authorities.
The latest confiscation adds to a series of interceptions as Customs and other relevant agencies continue monitoring outbound passengers for undeclared currency.
Customs has not announced whether further action will be taken against the Indian passenger involved in the latest case.
