Mauritius Riots: 26 More Arrests as Ramgoolam Targets Drug Barons

Mauritius woke to a quieter Thursday morning after a second night under curfew, with Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam confirming in an afternoon statement that security forces had largely kept order across the island.

Ramgoolam thanked the majority of the population for respecting the curfew, while acknowledging that disturbances had been reported in around ten localities. All incidents were brought under control by police, the Special Mobile Force (SMF) — a paramilitary unit of the Mauritius Police Force — and the Special Support Unit (SSU), backed by overnight helicopter surveillance.

The arrest count from Wednesday night alone stands at 26. Among those detained were a 16-year-old minor and a woman. Four individuals are suspected of participating in a riot, while one person was charged with carrying an offensive weapon. Nine suspects were held in custody and appeared before district courts on Thursday.

Two smaller incidents were also recorded. A man was stopped at Gros-Cailloux in the Petite-Rivière area for obstructing a road, and burning debris was reported in Amaury — extinguished by authorities with no perpetrator identified.

These 26 arrests come on top of a mounting total accumulated since the riots began, placing Mauritius in the middle of one of its most serious public order crises in recent memory. The unrest has been linked by authorities to organised drug networks, with Ramgoolam signalling that action against so-called drug barons is imminent.

The Prime Minister has framed the crisis not merely as a law-and-order breakdown but as a direct challenge from the island's drug trafficking underworld. Authorities are under pressure to demonstrate that the state — not criminal networks — controls the streets.

Security deployments remain heavy. Police patrols, SMF units and SSU personnel continued to operate island-wide through Thursday, with the curfew framework still in place to restrict movement after dark.

What this means: For residents, the calmer night is a cautious sign that the curfew is working. But with dozens of arrests already logged, district courts are under pressure, and questions remain about how deep the alleged drug baron involvement goes and when — and whether — formal charges at that level will materialise. Mauritians and observers abroad will be watching closely as Ramgoolam moves from rhetoric to prosecution.

Source: ION News