Investigations are underway in the suspected widespread drug and money laundering network as being revealed in the case of the Gurroby brothers. Officers from ADSU and ICAC are discovering new information as they carry out further inquiries. On the 21st May 2021, the interrogation of both Ritesh and Niresh Gurroby was carried out in respect of their sources of income being both fishermen and owners of lagoon fishing boats. The two brothers’ interrogation was at the Police Headquarters, Port Louis and finished late at night.
The information gathered from the current investigation and interrogations has helped the authorities in understanding the activities of the suspects.
There has been a change in the schedule of questioning of Ritesh and Niresh Gurroby and a police constable, Garry Joumont, who is suspected of being involved with the Gurroby brothers. At the beginning of the week, Ritesh Gurroby had to be questioned ‘under camera’ but this exercise had to be postponed as his lawyer, Rama Valayden was being questioned by the CCID on the same day for another charge.
After having received information of other possible hiding places in this drug network, police officers have proceeded with a search in the house of a restaurant owner at Fond-du-Sac last weekend. However, the search did not lead to anything. It has been understood that additional potential suspects shall be questioned.
In the course of this week, ICAC has received the authorization from the Supreme Court, following their request on the 7th May 2021. The officers of ICAC then proceeded to freeze the belongings of the Gurroby family – whether there was direct ownership or through a nominee as per Article 56(3) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Thus, the bank accounts of the companies directly owned by the Gurroby family or through nominees as well as their personal bank accounts have been frozen. Every commercial, industrial or personal vehicle owned by any member of the family has been frozen whilst the several plots of land, the boats and the horses have been seized.
According to the orders from the Supreme Court, Nitesh and Tesswur (father), who have been arrested and accused of money laundering as well as Nitiraj and Ritesh, who have been arrested and accused of drug trafficking under aggravating circumstances, have no right to sell, transfer or make good of their belongings without the approval of a Judge.
Bank accounts
There are attachment orders on the bank accounts of Ritesh Gurroby, his wife Rachel Bianca Gurroby (born Tuyau), Marie Samantha Anabelle Gurroby (born Tuyau), Nitesh Gurroby, Rajkumaree Gurroby (born Sookalee), Dhanswar Sookalee, the brother-in-law of Nitesh Gurroby, Nitiraj Gurroby, Nehalaxmi and Tesswur Gurroby, three children, as well as for a certain Marie Botte.
Legal penalties have also been imposed to freeze the bank accounts of the following companies: Babul and Sons Fishing Company Ltd’, ‘Northern Seafood Company Ltd’, ‘Ice to Ice Company Ltd’ and ‘Ocean Blue Fishing Ltd’.
The different companies
The investigating officers have also uncovered the involvement of the Gurroby brothers in several companies offering a wide range of services from car rental to surveillance services and fishing services. These companies have been cited as being linked to the Gurroby network: ‘R&R adRenture Co Ltd’, ‘HMC Hirecar Mauritius Ltd’, ‘Go Mauritius Car’, ‘NK Car Rental’, ‘Gurroby Constructions’ ‘MRN Security Co Ltd’, ‘Diamond Dreams Ltd’, ‘Gurroby Enterprises’, ‘Indian Ocean Austmarine Ltd’, ‘Fish Adventurer Big Game Fishing Company Ltd’, ‘Sea Force Fishing Company Ltd’ and ‘Notts Farming Ltd’.
Vehicles
The officers from ICAC have seized the vehicles belonging to the Gurroby family. One of the nominee, Gontam Gurroby, owned three cars of the make Nissan, Volkswagen and Peugeot. Tesswur Gurroby owned a Toyota Hilux, a Volvo and a BMW. The 5 cars of Nitesh Gurroby have been seized namely two BMWs, a Jaguar, a Mahindra and a mini Moke, whilst the BMW X5 of Nitiraj Gurroby has been seized. The two cars of Bianca Rachel Gurroby have been taken away, a BMW 525D and a Toyota Corolla. The 4 x 4 Toyota registered for ‘Babul and Sons Fishing Company Ltd’ has been seized.
However, Rajkumaree Sookalee Gurroby (daughter in law) still has her two Hyndai i10 and a Toyota Hiance Microbus. Whilst the two nominees, Marie Samantha Anabelle Gurroby and Marie Botte have a Honda car, a Toyota Vitz and a Motocycle Keeway, respectively.
Plots of land
The several plots of land owned by the Gurroby family have been seized. The plot of land of surface area of 2 110m2 which is found in the village of Vale and owned by Ritesh Gurroby has been seized. Another plot of land of surface area of 734m2 situated in Pereybere on which stands a building has been seized. Nitesh Gurroby owns a portion of land in the Vale of area 1 056 m², which has been seized. The brothers jointly own two plots of land, namely a plot of land of an area of 3 410 m² situated at Fond-Du-Sac and another one of an area of 2 483 m² at Riviere-Du Rempart.
Boats
The fishing vessels which are registered to ‘Babul and Sons Fishing Company’, namely ‘Royal Phoenix 1’, ‘Royal Phoenix 11’ and ‘Feroiq’ have been seized by ICAC. The vessel belonging ‘Ice to Ice Fishing Co Ltd’, namely ‘Legacy’ as well as the vessels belonging to ‘Ocean Blue Fishing Co Ltd’, namely ‘Challenger 1’, ‘Challenger 2’, and ‘Westfield’ have been seized.
Proofs against police constable Joumont
During their investigation, officers of ADSU have pieced together important pieces of information to reveal what appears to be the biggest drug bust in the Mauritian history.
In the course of their investigation, the ADSU officers have viewed the CCTV cameras and as per the screenshots obtained, there was a trail of three vehicles seen at Pointe aux Canonniers before the discovery of the 243 kgs of heroin and 27 kgs of haschich. In the footage, the car of the police constable, Garry Joumont can be seen as part of the ‘cortege’ and it is suspected that he was carrying a large quantity of the drugs.
A Chief Inspector and his wife questioned by ADSU
The investigation has veered toward the direct or indirect implication of another police officer. On last Sunday and Monday, the officers have questioned both a Chief Inspector from the Central Division and his wife at the headquarters of ADSU. The interrogation happened when the CCTV footage revealed that one of their cars was accompanying the red Fiat belonging to the police constable, Garry Joumont, which is suspected of carrying the concealed drugs. The Chief Inspector has denied any implication in this case and has stated that the vehicle, which is registered to his wife’s name, has been hired by a customer in the last week of April. He has stated that he is not acquainted with the Gurroby brothers, Niresh and Ritesh; and he has confirmed that he has no objections for his cellphone to be scrutinized by the officers of ADSU. The wife of the Chief Inspector has declared that she would often give her car for hire to different clients. She has insisted on the fact that she was at her house in Highlands every single night during the last week of April. This has been confirmed by her husband. However, the officers of ADSU will have to verify their alibis but in the meantime, the Chief Inspector and his wife have not been bothered with further interrogations by the police. Even though, it appears that the lifestyle of this couple is being closely monitored at the Police Headquarters as the investigating officers have received information on the ownership – direct or through nominee – of the Chief Inspector of several prestigious cars. The issue is that the Chief Inspector is not be able to afford such cars despite his salary of a high ranking police officer.
The officers of ADSU intend to communicate this information to ICAC, who, will in turn, initiate an enquiry of the source of wealth and financial status of this high ranking police officer. During the investigation, it has been revealed that the three vehicles reached the plot of land owned by the Gurroby at Clud Med road, Pointe aux Canonniers, namely the red Fiat belonging to Garry Joumont, the car owned by Niresh Gurroby and the car which is registered under the name of the Chief Inspector’s wife. The investigating officers believe that the strategy in place was meant to minimize any potential loss. Should one of the vehicles be intercepted by the police, the other two vehicles would have carried the remaining quantity of drugs to the planned hiding place.
