Is there a Nigerian network operating in Mauritius recently, using Ugandan nationals? This is the hypothesis held by the investigators of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) of the airport after the arrest of Daniel Goevins Ongaya, a 40-year-old Ugandan event organizer. He had swallowed fifty-four pellets of heroin, weighing seven hundred and fifty-two grams, before boarding a plane to Mauritius on Monday, May 9. The market value of this drug is Rs 11 280 000. On May 6, two Ugandan couriers had been at Plaisance airport. They were carrying a total of one hundred and ninety pellets of heroin, that is 1994 grams of this drug. The market value of the drug is Rs 29,910,00. On April 20, a Nigerian couple had been arrested with Rs 37.5 million of heroin. He had returned a total of one hundred and nineteen pellets of heroin, weighing 2502 grams.
It is by flight KQ 270 of Kenyan Airways that this smuggler disembarked at the airport of Plaisance in the evening of Monday May 9. After a profiling by elements of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (Cans) of the Mauritius Revenue Authority and those of Adsu, his luggage was searched. However, no drugs were found. The suspect was subjected to a full body scan. Foreign bodies were detected in his intestines. Daniel Ongaya was interrogated and had to confess to having swallowed heroin pellets before taking the plane.
Adsu police officers seized in his possession a sum of 1,500 U.S. dollars, a cell phone, three sim cards and two memory cards which are suspected to have been used in connection with this drug trafficking.
The suspect was taken to Jawaharlall Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle where he was admitted under laxative treatment. He served a total of fifty-four heroin pellets. Since he did not cooperate no controlled delivery operation could be set up. Daniel Ongaya left the hospital in the afternoon of Thursday May 19th. On Friday, May 20, he was brought before the court in Mahebourg. He is facing a provisional charge of drug trafficking.
Daneil Ongaya, who is on his first visit to Mauritius, was supposed to stay in a boarding school in Mahebourg. He was scheduled to leave the country on Friday, May 20. He celebrated his 40th birthday on May 15 while in hospital and under police surveillance.
