French Duo Jailed for 15 Years Over Nearly 4kg of Hashish in Mauritius

Two French nationals have been sentenced to 15 years in prison each after pleading guilty to possession of 3,696.8 grammes of hashish in Mauritius. Abdallah Colo and Dounya Abdou received the 15-year penal servitude sentence on October 23 at the Assizes, delivered by Judge Pravin Harrah.

The pair were arrested after police seized a white bag containing three parcels of hashish during a search of their hotel room at the Belle-Mare Plage.

Upon being questioned by investigators, both defendants admitted: “Yes, all this ‘shit’ belongs to us.”

The defendants had arrived in Mauritius on August 26, 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic. A prior body search conducted by officers on both individuals failed to uncover any incriminating evidence.

In his deposition, Abdallah Colo, Defendant No. 1, recounted that he had been offered a job by a man named “Mel,” which involved transporting money to Mauritius in exchange for €3,000 to €5,000. He said he met Dounya Abdou, Defendant No. 2, who was to accompany him.

Upon reaching their hotel, Room No. 214, the two removed their thigh-high boots and placed the parcels on the bed.

When the police knocked, Mr. Colo immediately placed the parcels in a white bag under the bed.

Police subsequently seized four parcels containing drugs, and the pair were immediately arrested.

Dounya Abdou, in her deposition, stated that a person named “Kevin,” also known as “Melvyn,” had offered her €3,000 upon her return to France to bring money to Mauritius. She accepted the offer and was arrested alongside Abdallah Colo in the hotel room.

The prosecution was represented by Principal State Counsel, Mᵉ Vidya Mungroo-Jugurnath.

Source: l’Express