24-Year-Old Smuggler Caught at Airport with 3.5 Kilos of Hash

A 24-year-old French woman, Orane Drissi, was intercepted at Plaisance Airport after attempting to smuggle 3.5 kilograms of hashish valued at Rs 15 million into Mauritius. She was taken into custody immediately upon disembarking from her flight on Monday, August 12, 2024, and is set to appear before the Mahébourg court on Tuesday, August 13, where she will face provisional charges of drug importation.

The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) is continuing its investigation into the drug trafficking operation.

Investigators plan to question Drissi to obtain further details about her involvement and the broader network between France and Mauritius.

A controlled delivery, organized in hopes of tracing back to the supplier of the cannabis resin, has so far yielded no results.

Drissi traveled on Air Mauritius flight MK 015, which arrived from Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.

After completing immigration procedures, passengers began exiting the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport.

However, officers from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (CANS) of the Mauritius Revenue Authority, in cooperation with investigators from ADSU led by Chief Inspector Goinden, conducted profiling of all passengers on the flight.

Drissi stood out due to her suspicious behavior as she attempted to use the “Green Channel” to exit the airport.

When approached and questioned about the purpose of her visit, she began to exhibit signs of panic.

Unsatisfied with her explanations, the officers decided to inspect her luggage using an X-ray machine.

This inspection confirmed their suspicions; they discovered several packages of hashish hidden in a compartment of her suitcase.

Drissi, who is employed in business creation, was arrested on the spot. The seized hashish, if successfully distributed within the local market, would have generated approximately Rs 15.1 million for the traffickers.

Source: Defi Media