Mauritian coastguard targeted in alleged 1.5-tonne trafficking case
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Defimedia
The Mauritian investigation into the alleged transport of 1.5 tonnes of cannabis aboard the yacht Dreamer is focusing on an intermediary who allegedly passed confidential coastguard information to traffickers. Investigators are examining vessel movements and officers’ duty lists during the night of 19 to 20 October, Defi Media reported.
The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu), Mauritius’s anti-drug squad, is investigating the alleged transmission of confidential coastguard documents to traffickers linked to a 1.5-tonne cannabis shipment. Two National Coast Guard (NCG) officers, Kevin Rangilal and Bhavish Dhruv Bhunjun, are in detention, Defimedia reported.
The documents sought by investigators reportedly include duty rosters and lists of serving officers, which could reveal the movements of vessels and maritime surveillance arrangements. According to the investigation reported by Defimedia, messages from the police officer assigned to the NCG operations room were allegedly passed to an intermediary and then to the captain of the yacht Dreamer, Suriya Samanboot, who allegedly used the pseudonym “Mikail Popov”.
Adsu is examining operations in the command room during the night of 19 to 20 October, in particular, to determine whether the information helped the yacht evade surveillance. The investigation follows the arrest of seven sailors in the Mauritius-linked cannabis case, announced on 28 October. Defimedia said investigators were still seeking to identify the alleged intermediary.
