Mauritius’ Record Drug Seizure: six arrests after Navind Kistnah

Translated from French by Google Translate

Eight days after the arrest of Navind Kistnah, the investigation has reached its cruising speed. Also known as Kunal, the 34-year-old customs broker is a suspect in importing compressors containing heroin worth over Rs 2 billion. The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) and the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) have made three arrests. The latter also charged the owner of Gloria Fast Food, Shahebzada Azaree, said Dade, before the court of Port-Louis on Friday, April 21 under a provisional charge of money laundering after three days of interrogation.

At the headquarters of the ADSU in the Central Barracks, it is in the utmost discretion that the men from the deputy to the police chief Choolun Bhojoo carry out the investigation since Navind Kistnah was repatriated from Mozambique and stopped at his descent Flights to Mauritius last Saturday. The thirty-year-old, who has not given any evidence yet, was interrogated at length for 36 hours during which he was placed in solitary confinement after his arrest. During this exercise, he made several revelations that put the ADSU men on several tracks. These resulted in three arrests on Wednesday.

Imtieyaz Baccus, a clandestine bookmaker living in Coromandel and close to Navind Kistnah, was arrested on a provisional charge of importing heroin. He is not a stranger to the ADSU for being arrested and convicted for importing heroin. He knows Navind Kistnah who bet on races at home. Moreover, a discord would have settled between them when it would have swindled a stake of Rs 300,000 of Navind Kistnah. "Mo pa konn nanien dan sa zafer la", he told the ADSU police when he was charged with importing drugs against him. Imtieyaz Baccus retained the services of Me Assad Peeroo.

The same day, Abbrar Bheekhun and his father Rassool Bheekhun, respectively resident in Pailles and Cassis, were arrested in the wake of this importation of heroin. Abbrar Bheekhun, who is a peddler, was formerly engaged in a taxiboat in the harbor as his father was before his retirement. They were carrying passengers coming for cruises. The three suspects who were brought before the Port Louis court are still in custody.

On the ICAC headquarters side in Moka, a series of attachment orders and disclosure orders are expected to be filed in the Supreme Court against the three suspects arrested for money laundering on Friday and their relatives. The men of Navin Beekharry, the director general of ICAC, are busy for this to happen next week.

Shahebzada Azaree, who has been summoned to the anti-corruption brigade since Wednesday, was charged with money laundering on Friday under the Financial Intelligence Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2002. He was released against a bond of Rs 50,000 and an Acknowledgment Of Debt of Rs 500,000. After the record seizure of drugs, the ICAC became interested in this man for his links with Navind Kistnah in the equine and casinos. Moreover, on his provisional charge of money laundering, he is accused of betting Rs 225,000 to the Grand casino of Domaine Les Pailles on August 31, 2016. This money is suspected to come from illegal activities, even drug trafficking.

Unconvincing Explanations

Explanations from the accountant of Shahebzada Azaree did not convince the investigators about the wealth of this businessman. Shahebzada Azaree intrigues with her movable and immovable property, income from her business, lifestyle, cars and her proximity to the horse industry, even to patronize races. His casino losses far outweigh his winnings. His generosity to pay airfares for friends, including Navind Kistnah, and to help his relatives to travel to Wembley in England in 2016, tickles.

Just after Navind Kistnah left for Johannesburg, two directors of Brilliant Resources Consulting Co Ltd, Sibi Thomas and Gianchand Dewdanee, were arrested for importing heroin. It was this company that was responsible for importing compressors packed with heroin. These two suspects are still in detention. They were again brought before the Port Louis court yesterday. Gianchand Dewdanee, who did not feel well, was taken to the cardiac unit at the Northern Hospital where he was under police surveillance.

The ADSU suspects that the order for the seizure of heroin would have been taken from the central prison and that one of the three major links in drug trafficking, Peroomal Veeren, would be involved. It is this drug chain that two relatives of Peroomal Veeren have allegedly used for their alleged money laundering. Two women, Marie Christelle Isabelle Bibi and Marie Annette Gooljaury, who are suspected of being involved, were arrested and released on bail yesterday. In addition, a resident of Pailles was summoned and interrogated by ICAC yesterday but then released.

Unexplained fortune

Christelle Bibi, a resident of Eau-Coulée and owner of the Christelle Collection store in Curepipe, has a turnover of Rs 1.6 million. His shop is open only once a week. The ICAC suspects that there is a case of money laundering from the sale of drugs. Aged 27, she regularly visits the convicted Veeren in prison, every fortnight.

Annette Gooljaury, 54, resides in Floréal. It is in Mahébourg, where she runs a snack, that she was arrested by the men of the Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday. She was discovered in possession of a sum of Rs 63,000. Her son, who does not work, is driving a Honda SUV. They rent at least three vehicles for Rs 18,000 per month for a vehicle.

The fifty-year-old gave the ICAC investigators a hard time until very late on Thursday night. She said she did not remember her house. Finally, when the police were able to get home, they discovered 16 gold bracelets, one of which is wider than a wooden ruler, a gold piece worth Rs 90,000, laptops, 13 cell phones, SIM cards, vouchers worth Rs 3.5 million in the Flic-en-Flac region. His lifestyle, says an ICAC investigator, clearly demonstrates that this is inexplicable. After an interrogation on Thursday, the two women were allowed to return home. On Friday they were arrested and brought before the Port Louis court.