Three Malaysians held in Mauritius since Nov 2 are under investigation after customs officers found about 76kg of suspected cannabis in their checked luggage at the island’s international airport, the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) said.
The MRA said its Customs Anti-Narcotics Section found 70 vacuum-sealed plastic packets with a gross weight of 76.14kg in the luggage of two men, aged 22 and 30, and an 18-year-old woman. The three had arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport on a flight from Dubai.
The suspected cannabis has an estimated street value of 114.21 million Mauritian rupees, or about RM9.9 million. The authority said the three were stopped for questioning after officers checked their profiles, and their checked bags were then searched. The island’s Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit is investigating.
The authority has not named the three, and it has not said whether they have been charged.
It is at least the third case involving Malaysians at the same airport since September. On Oct 23, customs officers found 17.92kg of suspected cannabis hidden among clothing in the checked luggage of a 55-year-old Malaysian who had flown in from Dubai on the same scheduled flight. On Sept 15, a 70-year-old Malaysian who arrived on a flight from Malaysia was found with 6.18kg of cannabis concealed among clothing in his luggage, the MRA said at the time.
Taken together, the three seizures add up to more than 100kg of suspected cannabis, with a combined estimated street value of about 150 million Mauritian rupees.
Malaysians travelling abroad are subject to the laws of the country they are in, and drug offences carry heavy penalties in many jurisdictions. Anyone who needs consular help overseas can contact the nearest Malaysian embassy or high commission.