Controller of Immigration Mohamed Ali on Monday expressed concern that the Maldives was being used as a mid-point for money laundering and illegal immigration to Europe.
Speaking at the Fifth Meeting of the SAARC Immigration Authorities, Ali said that while it was a rising concern that illegal immigrants were making their way to Europe via the Maldives, there was also the matter of African nationals attempting to enter the Maldives itself illegally.
Ali pointed out that people from African countries like Nigeria were entering the Maldives, which he said would lead to problems.
“Now for example, if people like those from Nigeria start entering the Maldives, you all know what sort of problems this can give rise to. That is because Nigerians don’t have much of a reputation when it comes to certain things,” the Controller said.
Stating there was a chance that Maldivians were involved in assisting the illegal immigration, Ali said this should therefore be a matter of huge concern for the country.
“We haven’t received any information about Al-Qaeda. Nevertheless, we have been getting other sorts of information,” Ali said.
“There is all sorts of organised crime coming in now from all sides. It isn’t just terrorism,” he said.
Ali went on to say that people on the Interpol watch-list had been intercepted attempting to enter the Maldives a number of times. A few of these persons have been found after entering the country.
He highlighted the importance of working more closely with Interpol and of strengthening the border control system in order to prevent such crimes from continuing.
Speaking to Minivan News today, Mohamed Ali further said that he hoped the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) would now consider the implications of money laundering happening in the country.
“What I meant to say is that there are risks of all these activities happening in the Maldives. Our intention is for MMA to plan and start taking action about the issue of money laundering,” Ali said.
The current border control system is operated by Nexbis, and is at present a contentious matter. The Anti-Corruption Commission has recently approached parliament’s Finance Committee about the issue.
The Maldives has meanwhile been on the US State Department’s tier 2 watch list for human trafficking for three years’ running.
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All the more reason that Airport should be in trusted hands.
Hope the EU countries either intervenes in airport nationalisation OR take it over from GMR to prevent money laundaring and human trafficking.
Those Peskie Nigerians again. maybe they will provide competition to the corrupt rich Maldivians in Gov 🙂
Racists! You really over-rate Maldives or have no clue about other countries, especially African countries. What is wrong with people from African countries entering the Maldives? Is that why you treat them like trash at the immigration desks in the pretence of verifying vaccination status?
I know a Maldivian of African origin who is made to queue at the health desk every time he returns from an overseas trip. Suffice to say he has lived in Maldives and runs businesses there for more than 20 years.
Wake up people, many countries in Africa have better GDP, quality of life and are more developed than Maldives. There are Africans, including Nigerians, who can afford holidays in Maldives.
And by the way, not all Nigerians are crooked. Tagging Nigerians as a bunch of people who should be viewed as not-people-enough is no different from the prejudice against Muslims in some parts of the world.
What is the GDP of Nigeria compared to that of Maldives?
no surprice here,
Maldives, mid-point for shipping drugs to Europe aswell.
Gayoom era business as usual is starting again
Gayoom era, is certainly back.
Hope not to stay!
Dr. Mohamed Ali can be as honest as he can be!
But the question is, can he implement appropriate measures?
His predecessor, alleged of fraud in acquiring the border control system, is working in the Ministry under which Immigration & Emigration function.
Maldives is loosing the clean face it used to have!
Re-brand the Maldives with the removal of this illegal government first!
@Nigger-ian, very true, not all Nigerians are crooks! It is a shame crooked ones are allowing this to happen!
Sorry mate!
Maldives is the most raciest country in the face of the earth.they think they are europeans, if they meet a bangladheshi, indian or sri lankan they make jokes of them. Shame,,, forget their own race.
a government official cherry picking Nigerians as problematic people is irresponsible and ignorant. im a Maldivian but i think our own mafia ,the ruling elite is more responsible for all sorts of illicit activities including drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering. How did Qasim become what Qasim today?, he was responsible for counterfeiting millions of Maldivian rfuiya during early 90s. these people think they came from sky just because they have managed steal peoples money.