Rs 6.5 Million Drug Importation, Man Sentenced to 14 Years

Arturs Bukhards, a 30-year-old web designer from Latvia, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined Rs 50,000 after pleading guilty to the importation of dangerous drugs. On January 10, 2025, the Assizes Court issued the ruling following his arrest for smuggling 431 grams of heroin on December 17, 2019. The estimated street value of the drugs is approximately Rs 6,466,500.

Bukhards was intercepted by members of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSR) in Plaine-Magnien.

While no incriminating items were found in his luggage, he confessed to ADSU officers that he had ingested drug-filled pellets.

He was subsequently taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle, where he expelled 39 pellets hidden in his body.

In a police statement, Bukhards explained that he had been approached by an individual in Turkey who offered him $5,000 per transaction to transport drugs from Mozambique to Mauritius.

Facing financial difficulties, he accepted the offer and traveled to Mozambique, where he struggled to swallow the pellets before making his way to Mauritius.

He was arrested upon his arrival.

Testifying under oath, Bukhards shared his challenging upbringing, having been separated from his parents at an early age.

He moved in with his grandparents and started working at the age of 18.

At the time of his arrest, he was single and his fiancée was pregnant; their now seven-year-old child has since been left in her care after the couple separated.

Bukhards attributed his actions to the difficult economic situation in his home country and the personal struggles he faced, characterizing his decision to smuggle drugs as a “huge mistake.”

He expressed remorse and apologized to the court, stating that his main priority is to support his child.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Pravin Harrah considered the circumstances surrounding the case and the defendant’s personal situation.

He noted Bukhards’s guilty plea and his cooperation with authorities.

Ultimately, the judge determined that a sentence of 14 years in prison, along with the fine, was appropriate.

Source: Defi Media