The government announced yesterday that it is working to determine whether goods included on the U.S. sanctions list against Russia are entering the country through the Maldives, and is currently assessing whether the necessary resources are available to identify such items.
Speaking to the press, Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) stated that an internal assessment is underway to evaluate Maldives Customs' capacity to detect sanctioned goods among items departing the country.
"The question now is whether we have the capacity to identify things at that level. You understand what I mean. For example, take this phone. How would we know what kind of chip is inside this phone?" Shareef said.
"Our Customs officers are the ones who screen. To do that individually at that level—that is why we are currently clarifying our internal capacity."
Shareef added that the government, in collaboration with various agencies, will investigate the reality of any issues that are flagged. However, he emphasized that the government is not facing any external pressure and is working closely with all international partners.
The Wall Street Journal first revealed in an investigative report that the U.S. government had shared its concerns with the Maldives and requested the government to stop the flow of sanctioned goods to Russia through the archipelago.
According to the report, goods on the sanctions list are being transported to Russia via the Maldives by importing them from various countries and then shipping them out from Velana International Airport on Aeroflot aircraft.
Items reportedly exported from the Maldives to Russia in this manner include microchips that could be used in missile guidance systems, hardware for tracking satellites, and steel bolts required for jet fighters and long-range missiles.
Official Maldives Customs statistics show that between 2022 and 2025, the Maldives exported only $2,500 worth of fish and $25 worth of leaflets to Russia. However, findings from ImportGenius, a U.S.-based trade data firm, indicate that in 2022 alone, $630 million worth of goods were shipped from the Maldives to Russia.
Prior to that, in 2021, the Maldives exported only $7 million worth of goods to Russia. This indicates that the volume of exports from the Maldives to Russia has surged significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that re-exported goods from the Maldives are not physically inspected. Instead, Maldivian officials reportedly only check the accompanying documentation. The publication attributed this practice to a shortage of Customs personnel.
