Rs 12.4 Million Cannabis Farm Uprooted in Crève-Cœur Sugarcane Field

More than 3,000 cannabis plants have been uprooted and seized after police discovered a hidden plantation concealed within a sugarcane field in Crève-Cœur, a locality in the north-east of Mauritius. The operation took place on Friday, 9 October, and was jointly conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Terre-Rouge — a major policing district in the north of the island — and the Divisional Support Unit (DSU), a specialised police team deployed for targeted enforcement operations. The operation was led by officers from the Montagne-Longue police station. Acting on precise intelligence, officers combed through a stretch of sugarcane along the Royal Road (Route Royale) in Crève-Cœur and uncovered the cannabis cultivation site. A total of 3,100 plants were found, ranging in height from 10 to 56 centimetres, indicating the plantation was at various stages of growth. All plants were uprooted and taken into police custody. Authorities estimate the street value of the seized cannabis at Rs 12.4 million (approximately USD 270,000). **No arrests made yet** As of the time of reporting, the identities of those responsible for cultivating the plantation remain unknown. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. The use of sugarcane fields to conceal drug cultivation is a known tactic in Mauritius, where large swathes of agricultural land provide natural cover and limited surveillance. Crève-Cœur, located inland near the northern coast, sits within an area where sugarcane farming remains common. **What this means** The scale of this seizure — over 3,100 plants with a combined estimated value exceeding Rs 12 million — underscores the ongoing challenge Mauritius faces in combating domestic drug cultivation. While much of the island's drug enforcement focus has historically been on trafficking through ports and the airport, operations like this highlight that local cultivation is a significant concern. The fact that no suspects have been identified yet suggests the plantation may have been tended covertly, with investigators now working to trace ownership or access to the land. Source: ION News