Kateryna Kononova, a 28-year-old Ukrainian entrepreneur, was brought before the Port-Louis court this Wednesday morning, June 7, on a provisional charge of attempting to take possession of a drug parcel. The woman, who lives in Flic en Flac, was apprehended on Tuesday June 6 during a Controlled Delivery operation at the office of an express courier company in Pailles. She had come to take delivery of a parcel containing 1,005 grams of synthetic drugs. The street value of the drug is Rs 5,025,000.
A parcel from China arrived in Mauritius on May 21 via an express courier company, using Emirates Airlines Ek 701. The parcel was meticulously examined by officers from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (Cans) and the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) at the airport. After being scanned, it was opened to reveal an aluminium pouch. This in turn contained a resealable plastic bag. This weighed in at 1005 grams of a suspected synthetic drug.
However, the package was addressed to Trou aux Biches. Kateryna Kononova was arrested while in the office of this express courier company at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday June 6 to take delivery of the package. The Ukrainian woman has been living with a Mauritian man for five years. She has a four-year-old daughter. The substance will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Réduit for examination.
The Ukrainian was kept in a cell after appearing before the Port-Louis court, where she was provisionally charged with attempting to take possession of a drug parcel. The suspect was placed in a cell at the Moka detention center.
In other news. An Adsu team from Rose-Hill raided the home of a 36-year-old helper in Roche-Bois on Tuesday, June 6. Suspect Louis Jacques Désiré Fanfan was found in possession of two hundred and twenty-five doses of synthetic drugs and three hundred and two grams of the same drug in a plastic container. The total value is estimated at Rs 1,662,500. A sum of Rs 20,375 suspected to be derived from the sale of this drug was also seized.
An electronic scale and five pieces of aluminum foil, which police suspect were used to package the drugs, were also seized. Jacques Fanfan was brought before the Port-Louis court on Wednesday morning, June 7. He is facing a provisional charge of drug trafficking. He was transferred back to the police cell at the Grand Bois police station.
In addition, the director of Chemtech Ltd, Wolfgang Gunther Rieth, 56, was arrested on the morning of Tuesday June 6 following a search of his home in Chamarel. He was found in possession of two plastic containers containing cannabis and another metal container containing a quantity of the same drug, 204.54 grams of cannabis. The market value of these drugs is Rs 245,448. After his appearance before the Bambous court, the suspect was placed in a cell at the Vacoas detention center.
