Africa-Press – Mauritius. For the period 2017 to May 2022, 17,556 drug cases have been detected and 15,571 persons arrested. The street value of the drugs seized is estimated at around Rs 13.7 billion.
The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, provided this information today in the National Assembly while replying to a Private Notice Question which pertained to various drug seizures and the prosecution and conviction of persons with regards to drug seizures of street value greater than Rs 1 billion since year 2017 to date.
For the Prime Minister, the detection of these drug cases is a proof of the sustained and successful crusade that the authorities have been leading against the drugs scourge.
He thus recalled that a crusade against drug trafficking and the drug mafia has been launched since 2014, and, consistently and with unparalleled determination, the drug networks are being dismantled.
The exceptional results in terms of arrests and drug seizures are testimony to the colossal work ongoing to clean our country from the drug scourge, he said. The drug peddlers will be brought to justice and put behind bars, he reassured.
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed his personal unflinching commitment and that of Government to do whatever it takes to protect the Mauritian society and the youth in particular from the devastating effects of illicit drugs.
Speaking about the seizure of heroin in six cylinders of Rs 1.8 billion street value in March 2017, the Prime Minister indicated that the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) and the Mauritius Revenue Authority personnel searched the vessel MSC IVANA, sailing from South Africa, on 09 March 2017.
As a result of this search exercise, 118 packets of drugs suspected to be heroin, weighing 135 kgs, worth two billion and twenty-five million rupees were secured from six sand blasting metal cylinders in which they were concealed.
The exhibits, said Mr Jugnauth, were brought to ADSU Headquarters for photographic exercise and subsequently sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis. Eight suspects have been arrested during the course of the enquiry.
So far, two of them have been prosecuted and convicted to undergo three years’ imprisonment by the Intermediate Court for ‘Money Laundering’ respectively on 29 November 2018 and 17 January 2020, he highlighted.
Five of them are provisionally charged with the offence of ‘Drug Dealing with Aggravating Circumstances’, he indicated. In addition, the Prime Minister informed that one suspect is so far untraceable.
He pointed out that given that the investigation is complex and has international ramifications, enquiry into the case is proceeding and that mutual legal assistance was sought from authorities of South Africa and the UK since 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Reports have been obtained from South Africa in August 2021 and from UK in February 2022, he recalled. Further reports are being sought from the office of the Interpol South Africa. As at now, the enquiry has reached an advanced stage and is expected to be completed shortly, he underscored.
As regards the seizure of 100 kgs of heroin on a speed boat of Rs 1.5 billion street value in October 2018, the Prime Minister informed that on 30 October 2018, three individuals were arrested, one nautical mile away from Gunners Coin Island on a speed boat.
Five rafia bags each containing 20 parcels of heroine of a total weight of 100 kgs were seized, he said. During the course of the enquiry, eight other persons were also arrested in connection with the case. It is expected that the enquiry will be completed by the end of this year, the Prime Minister added.
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