Customs officers in Mauritius detained a six-year-old British boy after they found cannabis worth about £1.6 million in the luggage of the group he was travelling with.
Large cannabis haul found in group’s luggage
On Sunday, customs officers stopped the boy and six other British nationals at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport. They found 14 kilograms of cannabis hidden inside the boy’s bag and 17 kilograms in another person’s luggage.
In total, the officers uncovered 161 kilograms of cannabis spread across several suitcases. They also discovered 11 numbered Apple AirTags. Authorities suspect an organised crime group smuggled the drugs from Europe into Mauritius.
Officials say the child acted as a drug courier, which they described as “inhumane.”
Details of those arrested
Police arrested six adults from Cambridgeshire. The group includes Laura Kappen (28), a bar worker from Orton Goldhay; Shannon Holness (29), a caterer from Bretton; Shona Campbell (33), a cleaner from Standground; Lily Watson, a caterer from Peterborough; Patrick Wilsdon (21), a window fitter from Peterborough; and Florian Lisman (38), a Romanian machine operator living in Huntingdon.
All seven appeared in court on Monday in Mahébourg and remain in custody. Meanwhile, the boy’s father travelled to Mauritius to bring him back to the UK.
Family’s reaction and background
Patrick Wilsdon’s mother, Carly Wilsdon, described her son as “vulnerable.” She said he had only been abroad once before.
“It is very difficult,” she told The Sun. “He has never been in trouble and only been abroad once. I missed a call from him on the day they arrived, which I thought was just to show me the apartment. I can’t believe what has happened.”
She added, “We have had no contact with him. He has a lot of issues and is vulnerable.”
Reports say someone offered Patrick a “free holiday” to Mauritius. He did not know about the drug smuggling, as he does not get involved in such activities. The friend who told him about the holiday has since disappeared.
This case follows several recent arrests of British citizens accused of drug smuggling abroad. For example, authorities arrested former air stewardess Charlotte Lee in Sri Lanka in May after they allegedly found cannabis worth £1.15 million in her luggage. Additionally, police intercepted Bella May Culley (18) in Georgia on suspicion of smuggling cannabis.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said they support “several British nationals detained in Mauritius” and stay in contact with local authorities.
