Maldives Customs Services on Sunday seized a total of 21 boxes containing 429kg of shark fins which were about to be illegally exported via Velana International Airport (VIA).

Customs searched the boxes together with Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM), where the shark fins were found concealed in a shipment that was declared as salt fish.

Customs shared updates regarding the seizure on their official Twitter, with photos of the shipment being shared showing boxes clearly stamped with the logo for ENZI by Ensis Fisheries.

While the initial tweet displaying the ENZI logo on the boxes was deleted shortly after, Customs, following questions by the public, later clarified that while the seized shipment declared as salt fish had been packed using Enzi boxes, they had not been declared to Customs by Enzi.

Maldives declared a total ban on shark fisheries within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone in 2010 following a decline in shark populations and sightings in the region. In 2011, the Ministry of Housing and Environment announced a ban on the capture, keeping, trade and harming of sharks under the Environment Protection and Preservation Act (EPPA). By law, the responsibility for regulating the trade of any commodity and implementing trade bans on commodities comes under the mandate of the Ministry of Economic Development under the Maldives Export and Import Law.

While the Customs Services announced that they would be investigating this case further, details of the consignee who declared the shipment to Customs have not been revealed.

Environmental organization, Wild Aid estimates some 73 million sharks are killed every year for the trade.