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The boy was detained alongside a group of seven people, who were allegedly smuggling 161 kg of cannabis worth Rs 18.8 crore in Mauritius.
File photo used for representational purpose
In a shocking incident, a six-year-old boy was detained in Mauritius after he was found carrying 14 kg of cannabis in his suitcase, according to customs officials.
The boy was detained alongside seven other people at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport as they disembarked from a British Airways flight from Gatwick last week. The group was allegedly carrying over 161 kg of cannabis worth 1.6 million euros (Rs 18.8 crore) hidden in their luggage, according to The Telegraph.
Seven of the suspects were British, including the boy whose luggage reportedly contained 24 packages of drugs wrapped in clear cellophane. Another suspect was reportedly a Romanian national living in Britain.
Mauritian authorities said this was “one of the most revolting cases” they had encountered in recent years, describing the use of a child to transport drugs as “outrageous and inhumane’. The boy’s mother was also arrested after 17 kg of drugs were hidden in her bags.
The boy was reportedly unaware of the contents of the bag, which carried 24 packages of cannabis wrapped in cellophane, and was flown back to the UK, where he is staying with his father.
Authorities found that all suspects carried Apple AirTags, which can be fixed to an item to track its location via an app, and up to 900 pounds in cash. These trackers are believed to have been used by international drug trafficking gangs to help smugglers keep tabs on their shipments.
The seven suspects were charged with drug trafficking and placed in custody. They were produced before a court and kept in pre-trial detention.
Additionally, authorities carried out a series of targeted raids on hotels containing British nationals after police received a lead that more foreign passengers may have been transporting drugs, as per local media reports. However, no arrests were made, as per the report.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
- Location :
Port Louis, Mauritius
- First Published:
