Two Chagossians living in England arrested as drug mules at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport

Both cases involved Chagossians residing in England, holding dual British and Mauritian passports, who were allegedly recruited as drug mules. Investigators suspect a network operating in Mauritius with contacts in Crawley, England, is recruiting individuals from the Chagossian community to smuggle drugs into Mauritian territory. On August 20, ADSU and Customs Anti Narcotics Section CANS officers intercepted Stephano Lafolle, a 48-year-old bus driver from England, who arrived on a flight from Frankfurt.

A search of his luggage revealed 34 plastic sachets of cannabis and 127 packets of cannabis resin, totaling 35.88 kg with an estimated street value of Rs 54 million. Lafolle cooperated in a controlled delivery operation, leading to the arrest of 44-year-old machinist Dhaneshwar Beegun in Bois-d'Oiseau, Poudre-d'Or. Four days later, on a flight from Dubai, officers intercepted Marie Fournier, a 21-year-old cleaner, also a Chagossian with dual nationality.

Her luggage contained three toy boxes with a paste-like substance suspected to be a dangerous drug. A controlled delivery operation in Trou-aux-Biches led to the arrest of Warren Fournier, a 31-year-old musician from Roche-Bois, who is a relative of Marie Fournier. Authorities are investigating whether the arrested individuals were mere executors or played a more significant role i