Three Malaysians, including an 18-year-old woman, have been arrested at an airport in Mauritius after authorities discovered more than 76kg of suspected cannabis in their luggage.
The drugs, packed into 70 vacuum-sealed parcels, were seized at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSRIA) after the three passengers arrived from Dubai.
The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) said in a statement last Wednesday that the suspects comprised two men aged 22 and 30, and an 18-year-old woman.
All three arrived aboard Emirates flight EK709 and were selected for further screening by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (CANS).
Following passenger profiling and questioning, officers inspected their checked-in luggage and discovered 70 rectangular black plastic packages containing suspected cannabis.
The seizure weighed 76.14kg and was estimated to be worth 114.21 million Mauritian rupees, equivalent to approximately RM9.87 million, based on local market prices.
All the packages were confiscated, with further investigations handed over to Mauritius’ Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU).
Mauritian media reported that preliminary investigations suggested the drugs were linked to Thailand. One of the suspects was believed to have travelled through Thailand before continuing to Dubai and then Mauritius.
The 30-year-old man, who reportedly lives in Singapore and works as a security officer, was carrying approximately 10.9kg of cannabis.
The other two suspects, a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman reportedly living together in Penang, were each carrying 32.5kg and 32.6kg of the suspected drugs respectively.
The arrests come after a similar case involving a Malaysian chef, aged 55, who was detained at the same airport on Oct 23 with 17.8kg of cannabis in his luggage.
Like the three latest suspects, the chef had arrived from Dubai on Emirates flight EK709.
