A joint operation conducted by men of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (Cans) and those of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) at the airport resulted in the arrest of a South African national for importing cannabis on the afternoon of Thursday 20 April. The latter, Kevin Arthur Pearman, aged 40 years, had in his suitcase Lego sets in which were hidden about ten plastic bags containing cannabis. The weight of this drug is 1829.27 grams, whose market value is estimated at 2 195 124. In the wake of this operation the local contact of this man, Reetesh Dawoo, alias Akshay, 31 years old resident of Paillotte, Quatre-Bornes who had come to take delivery of this drug at the airport was arrested.
It is after a profiling exercise that the South African, Kevin Arthur Pearman was arrested before being subjected to a body search and his suitcases searched. Thus, the men of the Cans and those of Adsu found boxes of lego games in which were hidden a dozen transparent plastics containing cannabis.
The tourist, who is an agricultural consultant, had arrived in Mauritius by the South African Airways flight SA 190 at 3.40 pm on Thursday 20 April. After having been subjected to a tight interrogation a controlled delivery exercise was set up. Reetesh Dawoo, who is of the same profession as the tourist, was arrested as the passengers left the airport.
He had come to Plaisance in a car belonging to a forklift driver living in the Vacoas area. Kevin Arthurn and Reetesh Dawoo were arrested and placed in a cell at the Vacoas detention center and the Eel River police station, respectively. On the morning of Friday, April 21, they were brought before the court in Mahebourg and were subsequently taken back into custody.
