ADSU Busts Three Men in Mare-Tabac Drug Stop

Anti-drug officers in Mauritius intercepted a vehicle on 7 October on the Royal Road in Mare-Tabac, a locality in the east of the island, leading to the arrest of two men and the discovery of both cannabis and synthetic drugs. **What happened** Officers from the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) — Mauritius's specialist narcotics enforcement branch — stopped a car carrying three men, all from the nearby area of Gros-Billot. The driver, a 26-year-old unemployed man, was allowed to leave after the stop. His two passengers were taken into police custody. A search of the vehicle turned up eight small plastic parcels and four aluminium foil wraps containing cannabis, with a combined weight of 2.7 grams. Officers also found a resealable plastic bag holding 12 cannabis seeds and 13 strips of synthetic cannabinoids — a class of laboratory-made substances designed to mimic the effects of cannabis, which have become an increasingly common seizure in Mauritius in recent years. **Home searches reveal more** Following the roadside stop, ADSU officers carried out searches at the homes of all three suspects. At the home of the 40-year-old passenger, a mason by trade, police found an additional 17 cannabis seeds as well as a plastic pot containing moist soil in which four cannabis plants were being cultivated — indicating the suspect may have been growing cannabis for personal use or distribution. The search at the home of the other passenger, aged 26 and also unemployed, yielded no incriminating evidence. No details were provided about a search at the driver's home. He was released without charge at the scene. **Synthetic cannabinoids: a growing concern** Synthetic cannabinoids — sometimes called "spice" or "K2" internationally — are chemically engineered compounds that bind to the same brain receptors as THC, the active ingredient in natural cannabis. They are often far more potent and unpredictable than plant-based cannabis and have been linked to severe health episodes. Their presence in this seizure reflects a wider trend seen in ADSU operations across the island. The investigation is ongoing. Source: ION News