Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has stated that Japan’s assistance will assist the Maldives in strengthening its border security. She made the remark after the government of Japan handed over a set of equipment and vehicles to the Maldives Customs Service under a USD5 million grant project. Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Takeuchi Midori handed over the equipment and vehicles to Minister Mariya and Commissioner General of Customs Abdulla Shareef at a special ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Mariya extended gratitude to the people of Japan and expressed confidence that the generous donation will contribute greatly towards strengthening the operational capabilities of Customs. As such, she said Customs officers will use the new equipment and vehicles to efficiently respond to emergency situations and confiscate illicit items. She also highlighted the importance of border security for a country with a large ocean region such as the Maldives and expressed concern that smugglers use the Maldives as a transit point.
Also at the ceremony, Commissioner General Shareef said the equipment and vehicles will be used in Male’ and the atolls and that a team from Japan will arrive in the Maldives to train officials on using them.
Furthermore, Ambassador Midori highlighted the importance of ensuring public safety in the Maldives, which is dependent on tourism. She noted that Japan has aided the country in fortifying its air and sea borders and pledged to continue providing support.
The donated equipment and vehicles include a Toyota van and wagon, two Mazda sedan cars, eight spectrometers, eight counterfeit bill detectors, two mobile x-ray scanners, three spare parts of equipment, and spare parts for the vehicles. The equipment and vehicles are donated in line with the Exchange of Notes signed between Japan and the Maldives in May 2020 under the Economic and Social Development Programme. The donation is expected to strengthen the capacity to bolster operational readiness and strengthen border control for public safety and protection.