Africa-Press – Mauritius. Police are looking for three members of’ crewa pleasure boat that S’ travelled to La-Reunion to retrieve a large cargo of zamal, valued at about Rs 300 million.
During’ an operation on the high seas on the West Coast, a team of the National Coast Guard (NCG) was close to getting their hands on them, because it was 200 meters from the’boat.
Nevertheless, the trio were able to escape by throwing bags containing drugs at the sea. Investigators suspect that’ at least one of the suspects could live in the North of the country.
Several police units are engaged in a’Intelligence Gathering exercise tracking down these suspects. For a month, the Central Barracks had heard that a large shipment of drugs was going to be transported to Mauritius by sea from the Reunion.
Part of this substance was going to be sold on the local market for the year-end period’. Thanks to the collaboration with the Reunion authorities, the’ team of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Sergeant Gungadin learned that’a boat with three Mauritians on board was on its way to Mauritius.
The police immediately asked for a collaboration with the Mauritian customs. Thus, the Port Surveillance & Enforcement Unit dispatched a boat that left Port Louis.
The ICU was in another boat and the third was led by the Maritime Intelligence Cell commandos of the National Coast Guard. It’is at 3am Thursday morning that the three boats left on the high seas in different directions.
They were looking for the white pleasure boat. Meanwhile, the Dornier flew over the West region. It’is around 13:40 that the AIR crew, under the supervision of’ASP Moodoo, spotted the suspect outboard.
The latter was heading towards the North of Mauritius. ’information has been relayed to teams at sea. This’ is the customs boat that arrived at the indicated place around 14:30, or about 55 nautical miles west of Black River’.
Sergeant Gungadin, who was on board, gave the’ order to accelerate to the pleasure boat. At about 200 meters, the latter made a U-turn while sailing at maximum speed to take the direction of the South.
In the meantime, two men, one wearing a white t-shirt and the other one wearing a red one, started throwing bags at sea. To prevent these important exhibits from sinking, the’ crew on the customs boat put together 19 nylon bags and a red suitcase.
In the meantime, the NCG has attempted to locate the pleasure craft within their perimeter, but without success. All three teams returned to port on Thursday night.
Several police units went on site including the’Anti Drug and Smuggling Unit to collaborate in this case. The zamal bags were put into a Special Mobile Force armored vehicle for central barracks under heavy police escort.
The 19 nylon bags, the suitcase and their zamal content weigh a total of 222.5 kg. However, police are expecting this weight to decrease a bit soon by removing packages and the wet zamal to be dried.
It’ is the Forensic Science Laboratory that will do the’ weighing exercise in its office. In the meantime, the exhibits are sealed at’ADSSU headquarters.
Previously, in one of the nylon bags, police found a small cardboard box containing 4,800 tobacco papers (roll-your-own cigarette). While in another bag, there was an Air-Pistol, 50 rubber balls and four small oxygen pumps. The’ investigation continues with a view to dismantling this drug network.
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