Jérôme Jean Paul André Bellefroid, a 46-year-old Frenchman, manager of the restaurant and guest house “Esprit Libre” in Pointe aux Canonniers was arrested on Monday 3 April by a team of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) of the Eastern Division. This after he was found in possession of 3.7 grams of cocaine, 42.5 grams of methamphetamine, 95 grams of cannabis and a sum of Rs 2,676,050, of which Rs 1,036,350 was suspected to be from the sale of the drug. The value of the seized drugs is Rs 788,000. The suspect was brought before the Pamplemousses court on Tuesday morning, April 4, on a provisional charge of drug trafficking with aggravating circumstances. He was kept in a police cell.
It was around 1.55pm on Monday 3 April that this Adsu team led by Sergeant Luckmun and Corporal Murday arrived at this guest house in Pointe aux Canonniers. It was on the basis of certain information and after hours of surveillance that this operation was mounted. Jérôme Bellefroid, who has been living in Mauritius since 2012, was apprehended after a metal container containing two pieces of plastic in which there were five parcels containing methamphetamine.
The police also found sixteen envelopes, thirteen of which were white and three brown. They each contained a sum of Rs 23,800 and a sum of 1380 euros. A sum of Rs 1,258,900 and 19,770 euros was also seized. The money is suspected to be from the sale of drugs.
A raid was subsequently conducted at his home in Grand Gaube. This led to the discovery of four transparent plastics which were in a plastic container. Methamphetamine was inside each of these plastics. A brown envelope with cannabis, an electronic scale with traces of cocaine and a resealable plastic bag with sixteen small bags inside.
After his arrest Jérôme Bellefroid was taken into custody at the Rivière des Anguilles police station.
