Child of South African drug mule in Mauritius prison to return home

Officials from the Department of Social Development have arrived in Mauritius to repatriate a five-year-old child born to a mother serving a prison sentence for drug trafficking on the island.

The delegation left on Monday and is expected to return to the country with the child on Friday.

According to spokesperson Bathembu Futshane, the department’s Adoptions and International Social Service (ISS) received a request from Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) on 15 May 2024 to assist with family tracing, assessment and possible repatriation of the child.

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“The biological mother was arrested in May 2019 while she was pregnant with the child. The minor child is currently in prison under the care of her mother, whilst awaiting her repatriation to South Africa,” said Futshane.

“If the child is not repatriated to South Africa, she might be placed in the welfare system in Mauritius which will not be in her best interest, as it might complicate her chances of her being returned to her family in South Africa.”
 
Futshane confirmed that the department had assessed the nominated grandmother in North West and found her to be suitable to look after the child.

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Upon returning to South Africa, the child will be placed in her grandmother’s care until her mother is released from prison.

Since 2015, the department has repatriated 25 children stranded or distressed in foreign countries, including Brazil, Senegal, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

Drug trafficking to Mauritius

Mauritius has seen multiple arrests of South African women involved in drug trafficking.

Another South African woman was arrested after allegedly being caught with drugs with an estimated value of Rs 8 million (just over R3.3 million) at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport in Mauritius on 17 September 2019.

Mauritius’ Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) in collaboration with the officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section of the MRA intercepted the woman coming from Reunion after being alerted of the “suspicious behaviour” of the woman.

ALSO READ: SA woman arrested for ‘drugs in vagina’ for two Nigerians in Mauritius

The woman, 34-year-old Nokuphila Mtshali, from KwaZulu-Natal, reportedly introduced herself as a businesswoman who would be on the island for five days.

The officials searched her and found three plastic-wrapped bundles in her private parts containing 528 grams of heroin.

The woman reportedly cooperated with the officials, who arranged a fake delivery with fake drugs in an attempt to find her accomplices, reported Mauritius’ lexpress.mu.

The fake delivery led to the arrest of two Nigerian men, Ndubuisi Samuel Ebielonwu, 33, and Eze Collins, 31, and police confiscated an iPhone and cash in rands, Mauritian rupees, US dollar and naira.

The woman was reportedly promised R40,000 for a successful delivery.

A year before, 30-year-old Thami Nomathamsanqa Dyasi was allegedly caught with pellets of heroin weighing more than 1.25kg concealed in her private parts and stomach, according to Mauritian reports.