The police and customs’ search this week of properties operated by Villa Group is a ‘cowardly and illegal act’, the Jumhooree Party has said.

The Jumhooree Party, which is led by Villa Group founder Qasim Ibrahim, said that the Maldives’ tourism is heavily dependent upon its reputation to the international community.

“Maldives has always treated tourism as a ‘goose that lays golden eggs’, and this cowardly attempt at intimidating the opposition is grave transgression to this” the party’s statement on Thursday.

The party said that the police and customs’ investigation had disrupted services at the outlets that were subject to it.

The statement further said that the international community has already lost trust in local institutions and that this move would only aggravate matters further.

The police and customs had searched the resorts on allegations that the Villa Group, which has a few outlets that do not abide by tax laws, has been frauding the state.