3 Foreign Nationals, French, Ugandan, and South African Sentenced in Mauritius

Mauritius has become a popular destination for drug trafficking, especially for importing heroin. On August 4, three separate court cases resulted in convictions, with the judge, Pravin Harrah, handing down sentences of 16 and 14 years to the French men, 18 years to the Ugandan, and 13 years to the South African. All defendants pleaded guilty.

The first case involved French nationals Anthony Thierry Antonio Coelho, a chef, and Serena Tirera, a driver. They were sentenced to 16 years in prison each after being arrested on March 12, 2021, in a villa in Grand-Baie.

Coelho was found with 172.89 grams of heroin, Tirera with 102.3 grams, and a third French man, Abdellah Merah, a forklift driver, had 174.1 grams of heroin in his possession. All three apologized to the court.

The second case involved Ugandan Yusuf Kayiwa Sseluyange, who admitted to importing 500 grams of heroin hidden in his sandals.

He was arrested at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport on August 21, 2022, and received an 18-year prison sentence.

The third case involved South African Nompumelelo Ngubane, who arrived in Mauritius on April 16, 2019. She was caught in Grand-Baie with 152.6 grams of heroin, which was found in her possession at the police station. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Source: l’Express