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THREE Malaysians, including an 18-year-old woman, have been arrested in Mauritius for allegedly smuggling 76.14kg of cannabis into the country, with the drugs estimated to be worth 114.21 million Mauritian rupees (about RM9.87 million).
The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) said in a statement last Wednesday that the suspects comprised two men, aged 22 and 30, and the woman, aged 18.
They arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport from Dubai aboard Emirates flight EK709 before being selected for further screening.
The MRA said Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (CANS) officers conducted the inspection after assessing the passengers' profiles and questioning them.
A search of their checked-in luggage uncovered 70 vacuum-sealed black plastic packages containing green plant material suspected to be cannabis.
The drugs were seized, while further investigations were handed over to the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU).
Meanwhile, Mauritian media reports said preliminary investigations indicated that the drugs could be linked to Thailand.
One of the suspects was believed to have stopped in Thailand before travelling to Dubai and subsequently Mauritius.
The 30-year-old man, reportedly residing in Singapore and working as a security officer, was believed to have been carrying about 10.9kg of cannabis.
The other two suspects, a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman reportedly living together in Penang, were said to have been carrying 32.5kg and 32.6kg respectively.
In a related development, Mauritian authorities had detected a similar modus operandi following the arrest of a 55-year-old Malaysian cook at the same airport on Oct 23.
The man was detained after 17.8kg of cannabis was found in his luggage.
He had also arrived from Dubai on Emirates flight EK709, the same flight taken by the three Malaysians arrested on Nov 2 - November 9, 2026
