An operation carried out by elements of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (Cans) at Plaisance airport on the afternoon of Thursday February 15 resulted in the apprehension of François Jacobus Du Plessis, a 39-year-old South African national who had a parcel containing 13.4 kilos of cannabis in his suitcase. The value of the drug is estimated at Rs 16,080,000. In the wake of this seizure, a controlled delivery operation was set up by men from the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) at a boarding school in Trou d’Eau Douce. The operation was lifted on the morning of Saturday February 17, as no local contact came to take delivery of the drug.
Following profiling, the South African tourist, who had arrived in Mauritius on Air Mauritius flight MK 852 from Johannesburg, was stopped by Cans officers. After his suitcase was scanned, it was taken to the counter for checking and questioning. A large parcel containing six parcels wrapped in black plastic and covered with orange and purple muslin paper, which were enclosed in transparent plastic and adhesive tape. Each parcel contained a certain quantity of cannabis. This was confirmed after a field test.
