Importation of 1.15 kg of heroin: the phone of the deceased South African smuggler examined by Adsu

South African smuggler Jan Dutoit, 35, who carried 1.15 kg of heroin in his body, can no longer reveal his secrets. He died of an overdose when one of the heroin ova ruptured in his stomach, in the middle of a purge, on Thursday June 6. But the anti-drug brigade (Adsu) is continuing its investigation with a view to tracing the alleged sponsors of this drug in Mauritius. The task turns out to be difficult.

The police are banking heavily on the analysis of communication exchanges on the deceased's phone. Adsu had recovered the cellular device of the national of Brakpan, South Africa, upon his arrest at Plaisance airport on Tuesday June 4. However, preliminary checks yielded nothing concrete. At this stage no local contact on the island could be established.

Elements put forward by the smuggler Jan Dutoit to the Adsu sleuths, shortly after his arrest, were recorded for the purposes of the investigation, even if it was not during a formal interrogation.

1,150 grams of heroin, concealed in 94 pellets, was seized by police following the purge exercise and the South African's autopsy as part of the investigation. The value of this drug is estimated at Rs 17.2 million.

Jan Dutoit had swallowed pellets of heroin, hidden in packaging made by traffickers. These were spotted in his stomach during X-ray checks at the airport on Tuesday June 4, upon his arrival aboard flight MK 852. The “ova” each contained around 10 grams of the drug.

The purge exercise began at the hospital on Wednesday, and between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, the smuggler returned around fifteen pellets of drugs. During the day of Wednesday June 5, he returned three other additional pellets of heroin, before giving up the ghost on Thursday. After his death, 79 more pellets were recovered during the autopsy.

Exchanges of communications took place with the South African authorities for the formalities of repatriation of Jan Dutoit's body.