Malaysian chef nabbed in Mauritius over RM2.3mil cannabis smuggling attempt

A Malaysian chef aged 55 was apprehended in Mauritius on October 23, following the discovery of 26.88 million Mauritian rupees (RM2.3 million) worth of suspected cannabis concealed in his luggage at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, according to news outlet News Moris. The arrest was reported by Defi Media. Upon arrival from Dubai, the man was promptly detained by the authorities.

In an attempt to identify the recipient of the illicit drugs, the police arranged a sting operation by replacing the seized substances with dummy packages. However, the operation fell short when no one showed up to collect the packages. During the arrest, police seized the suspect's mobile phone for forensic examination, 8,150 Mauritian rupees (RM697) in cash, and various currencies from Malaysia and Thailand.

The suspect is currently held in custody and faces a provisional charge of importing dangerous drugs for distribution. This arrest marks the second of its kind this year, involving a Malaysian in Mauritius. In a similar incident on September 15, a 70-year-old Malaysian was apprehended at the same airport, after arriving from Kuala Lumpur, with 6.18kg of cannabis worth 9.27 million Mauritian rupees (RM793,000) found in his luggage.