Mauritius Needs Drone Surveillance to Fight Indian Ocean Drug Trade

Mauritius must move away from traditional sea patrols and embrace drone technology, satellite imagery and data fusion to combat drug trafficking across its vast ocean territory. That is the central argument made by Jameel Peerally, founder of Kolektif 420, a Mauritian civil society group focused on drug policy reform, in an interview with ION News on Friday 6 November.

Peerally was speaking in the wake of the Dreamer affair, a high-profile case involving a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in Mauritian waters, which has renewed public debate about the country's ability to police its maritime zone. Mauritius controls one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, stretching roughly 2.3 million square kilometres across the Indian Ocean, an area far too large to monitor with patrol boats alone.

To close this surveillance gap, Peerally is proposing the creation of a dedicated National Maritime Intelligence and Surveillance Programme, which he refers to by the acronym MNMISP. The unit would integrate intelligence gathering, drone surveillance and advanced sensor networks into a single coordinated framework.

Under the proposal, the MNMISP would work alongside three existing institutions: the National Coast Guard, the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU), and the National Maritime Information Sharing and Coordination Centre. Rather than replacing these bodies, the new programme would act as a central intelligence hub feeding them actionable information in real time.

The system would combine data from satellite imaging, coastal radar networks and the Automatic Identification System, known as AIS, which tracks the movement of vessels at sea. By fusing these data streams, analysts could identify suspicious ships early and coordinate interception before they reach Mauritian waters or offload cargo at sea.

Peerally estimates the total investment required at between 18 and 28 million US dollars, equivalent to roughly Rs 840 million to Rs 1.32 billion. That figure covers sensors, physical infrastructure, staff training and ongoing logistical support.

The goal, he says, is straightforward: detect suspect vessels at the earliest possible stage, track their movements continuously, and hand off that intelligence to the agencies best placed to act.

What this means: Mauritius currently relies heavily on reactive policing at sea, responding to incidents after they occur rather than anticipating them. Peerally's proposal represents a significant shift in approach, one that mirrors strategies already adopted by larger naval powers. For a small island state with limited resources but enormous maritime responsibilities, the question is whether the government is willing to commit to the upfront cost in exchange for a more effective long-term deterrent against Indian Ocean drug networks.

Source: ION News