The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) in Mauritius has made significant arrests in a major drug trafficking operation, seizing 1.5 tonnes of cannabis and detaining 15 suspects. The operation, which involved a yacht from Thailand, uncovered a sophisticated network of individuals involved in the smuggling of the narcotics. The investigation has revealed that two officers from the National Coast Guard (NCG) were involved in providing sensitive information to the traffickers.
According to the Adsu, the investigation began after the arrest of two NCG officers, Constable Kevin Rangilal, 27, and Bhavish Dhruv Bhunjun, 29. They are accused of transmitting confidential information about the coast guard's operations to a "middle-man," who then relayed the information to the captain of the yacht, Suriya Samanboot. The information included details about the coast guard's movements and surveillance operations.
The Adsu has discovered that the yacht, named Dreamer, had signaled a technical fault while in the vicinity of Ronde Island on October 19-20. This was suspected to be a cover for a drug offloading operation, which took place during a period of unrest in several regions of the country. The yacht remained in the area for over 20 hours, triggering checks by the authorities.
The captain's phone was seized and examined, revealing incriminating messages and images of cannabis cargo. A document titled "List of Yacht 18.10.26.doc" was also found, which is believed to be a confidential coast guard document. The phone contained images and videos of cannabis shipments from Thailand, as well as footage of the transshipment of the cargo.
The Adsu has identified that the cannabis was transported in several sports bags, with each bag containing approximately 50 kilograms of the narcotics. The investigation has revealed that a significant portion of the cargo was offloaded onto speedboats and taken to various hiding spots. The authorities are working to reconstruct the movements of the yacht and the cargo.
In addition to the two coast guard officers, 13 other suspects have been arrested, including nine Thai nationals. Three individuals were arrested for their role in receiving and delivering part of the cargo, while two others were found with 719 grams of cannabis worth Rs 1.4 million. The Adsu is working to identify others involved in the operation.
The investigation, supervised by Commissioner of Police Rampersad Sooroojebally, is ongoing, with authorities seeking to determine the extent of the infiltration within the coast guard and to identify those involved in the reception and distribution of the cannabis. The Dreamer yacht remains impounded at Quay A, and the authorities are working to unravel the complex network of individuals involved in the smuggling operation.
Key points
- 15 suspects arrested, including 2 coast guard officers, in major drug trafficking operation.
- 1.5 tonnes of cannabis seized, worth millions of rupees.
- Investigation ongoing to identify others involved in the smuggling operation.
