british tourists arrested at mauritius airport over £4,000,000 cannabis plot

Shania Wood,25,was allegedly carrying 33kg of cannabis

Four British people are among a group of nine arrested in Mauritius on drugs charges.

They are accused of trying to smuggle £4 million in drugs through the country’s main airport on May 29.

Eight of the group were allegedly carrying 212kg of cannabis when they were stopped,according to local media.

Chloe Parker,18,was allegedly carrying just under 45kg of cannabis packed into 46 bags. Alethea Demitre,33,and Shania Wood,both reportedly had 33kg of the drug in multiple suitcases.

Daniel Pearson did not have any drugs on him,but is claimed to have become violent and hostile at the airport in order to cause a distraction,according to news outlet Defi Info.

Drug smuggling investigators from Mauritius’ police force were said to have been expecting some kind of an attempt thanks to ‘early surveillance’.

‘Authorities had gathered specific intelligence on an international drug trafficking network’,Defi Info added.

Pearson was arrested and the other eight were searched ‘simultaneously’.

Local police were reportedly expecting Pearson’s alleged attempt at distraction

Alethea Demitre is suspected of also carrying a 33kg drug haul

The other suspects,including Dominican and Portuguese nationals,are Hansel Gomez, Esequiel Perez, Ildo Valera De Brito, Luis Manuel Herrera Martinez and Soraia Cristina Da Silva Cruz.

All nine have been charged with ‘drug dealing with aggravating circumstances’ and remain in custody.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting a number of British nationals who have been detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.’