579 Mobile Phones Seized in Mauritius Prisons

A striking figure has emerged from Mauritius's prison system: 579 mobile phones have been confiscated from penitentiary establishments between November 2024 and 29 July 2025, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam disclosed in parliament in response to a question tabled by opposition MP Adrien Duval. According to data provided by the Commissioner of Prisons, 41 of those devices were found directly on inmates, while the remaining 538 were intercepted through other means — likely during searches of cells, common areas, or at entry points, though the full breakdown was not detailed in the parliamentary response. The figures shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the persistent challenge of contraband smuggling into Mauritian correctional facilities. Mobile phones in prisons are not a trivial concern: they have been linked internationally — and increasingly in Mauritius — to the coordination of criminal networks from behind bars, including drug trafficking and intimidation of witnesses. What makes this disclosure particularly significant is its scale. Nearly 580 devices over roughly eight months suggests either a dramatic increase in smuggling attempts, a more rigorous detection regime, or both. The ratio — 41 found on prisoners versus 538 discovered elsewhere — raises questions about how these phones are entering facilities in the first place, and whether staff screening and perimeter security protocols are being tightened in parallel with cell searches. From an editorial standpoint, the parliamentary exchange between Ramgoolam and Duval signals that prison security is becoming a more prominent political issue in Mauritius. Opposition scrutiny of this kind can be a healthy driver of reform, but it also puts pressure on the government to move beyond disclosure and toward concrete action — whether through enhanced scanner technology at prison gates, stricter visitor protocols, or accountability measures for any staff found complicit in smuggling. Mauritius has in recent years faced growing concerns about the intersection of its prison population and organised crime. If phones are reaching inmates at this volume, the integrity of the correctional system itself is at stake. The Commissioner of Prisons and the Ministry of Justice will need to offer not just statistics, but a credible strategy. Source: Le Mauricien