
British boy (6) arrested in Mauritius after £1.6m of cannabis found in luggage
The child was stopped alongside six other British citizens on the tropical Indian Ocean island on Sunday by customs officials
The boy has now flown home with his dad
A six-year-old British boy has been arrested in Mauritius after £1.6million of cannabis was found in the luggage of the group he was travelling with.
The child was stopped alongside six other British citizens on the tropical Indian Ocean island on Sunday by customs officials at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport.
They discovered 14 kilos of cannabis concealed in the boy's bag alongside 17 kilos in the luggage belonging to one other individual.
The boy has now flown home with his dad
News in 90 Seconds - June 28th
Altogether, 161 kilos of the drug were found hidden throughout several other suitcases as well as 11 numbered Apple AirTags.
This has led investigators to suspect the operation may have been linked to an organised crime gang responsible for smuggling drugs from Europe into Mauritius.
They believe the child was used as a drugs mule, which they have condemned as 'inhumane,' according to The Sun.
The six arrested adults from Cambridgeshire include Laura Kappen (28), a bar worker from Orton Goldhay, Shannon Holness (29) a caterer, from Bretton and Shona Campbell (33), a cleaner from Standground.
The other two are Lily Watson, a caterer from Peterborough and window fitter Patrick Wilsdon (21) also from Peterborough.
A Romanian machine operator living in Huntingdon, named as Florian Lisman (38) was also arrested.
The seven arrested men and women appeared in court on Monday, in Mahébourg, and remain in custody, while the youngster has since returned to the UK with his father, who flew out to Mauritius to collect him.
Carly Wilsdon described her son Patrick who had only been abroad once before as 'vulnerable'.
'It is so hard,' she told The Sun. "He has never been in trouble and only been abroad once before.
'I missed a call from him on the day they arrived. I thought it was to show me the apartment. I can't believe what's happened.'
She added: 'We've had no contact with him. He's got lots of issues, he's vulnerable.
It has been reported that Patrick had been offered a 'free holiday' to Mauritius and 'wouldn't have known what he was doing because he wouldn't get involved in drugs'.
'The person who told them about this free holiday is one of his circle of friends but now he has disappeared,' she said.
The incident is the latest in a number of British citizens accused of smuggling drugs who have been arrested abroad.
They include former air stewardess Charlotte Lee, who was arrested in May in Sri Lanka, after £1.15million worth of cannabis was allegedly found in her luggage.
Bella May Culley (18) was intercepted by police in Georgia for allegedly smuggling cannabis.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said they were supporting 'several British nationals who are detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Locals fear Brit mum's murder in French village was professional hit as children break silence on unsolved killing
FEARS are growing that Brit mum Karen Carter was killed in a professional hit - as the unsolved killing continues to stump police. Her children have now broken their silence for the first time since she was Advertisement 12 Fears are growing that Brit mum Karen Carter was killed in a professional hit Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 12 Karen Carter pictured with her husband Alan Carter Credit: Facebook 12 She was found in a pool of blood outside her home in Trémolat Police investigating her death in the sleepy village of Trémolat, Dordogne, said her brutal murder was "planned and exceptionally violent". Cops suspect that , 74 They also identified a love triangle including another local named Marie Laure Autefort - who was reportedly "madly in love" with Guerrier. Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS Karen had also been married to Alan Carter, 65, for 30 years, further complicating the love triangle. But the married couple had been estranged and Alan was living in South Africa at the time her death. Autefort's brother Philippe Monribot admitted his sister had fallen in love with Guerrier, whom she called "the tall one", but insisted she was innocent. He is convinced the murder was a "professional hit", and said that police were "wasting their time" by interrogating him for four hours last week, The Times reported. Advertisement Most read in The Sun She was a beloved member of the local community and a married mum-of-four. Moment Brit mum is seen dancing with secret lover months was stabbed to death Guerrier had followed Karen home at a discreet distance after hosting a wine-tasting at his Trémolat farmhouse - just a 10 minute drive from the Brit mum's property. He then found Karen on the floor by her car and desperately tried to save her - but it was too late. Advertisement After prosecutors confirmed that Karen's affair was the focus of the investigation, her husband Alan said his shock was compounded with a sense of betrayal. Karen's daughter Liz, an engineering student in the US, said: "I keep thinking about what her last moments would have been like. "The colour in my life has washed away." She added that her mum's killer was clearly a "deeply disturbed individual who had nothing going for them". Advertisement "They saw my mother's beautiful life and, for whatever reason, chose to extinguish her light," she said. Karen's other daughter Katy, 30, who lives in the UK, said her mum had been "so excited about her life in France and growing old in Trémolat". Meanwhile, her son from her first marriage Nick Sachs said of his mum's death: "It's a hole in our lives that we can't fill." 12 Karen is said top have had a secret relationship with Jean-Francois Guerrier, 74, who discovered her body Advertisement 12 Marie Laure Autefort was 'madly in love' with Guerrier 12 And his brother Jonathan, who works in Australia, said he felt "aimless" since his mum's murder and even prepared for the prospect that the killer would never be found. He said: "I've come to realise that there is a possibility that the culprit may never be identified and we as a family will need to learn and accept that." Advertisement The mayor of Trémolat Éric Chassagne was one of the last people to see Karen alive, as he had also been at the small gathering at Guerrier's property. Chassagne, who has been mayor for 30 years, feared that suspicion was "weighing on the village" of around 600 residents. He suggested the killer might still be in town. He said: "The most probable [lines of inquiry] involve people we know. It's the most obvious." Advertisement Since his release after questioning, Guerrier, originally from Paris, has kept a low profile. He previously spent some years working in England as an IT executive. The woman who had fallen in love with him, 69-year-old retired carer Autefort, has not been seen in Trémolat since her two days of questioning. Cops are said to have taken statements from over 200 people and scoured fields and woods near the Carter home for clues as well as the murder weapon. Advertisement 12 Alan Carter had been living in South Africa at the time of her death Credit: Facebook 12 The Brit was a popular member of her local community 12 Footage showed Karen dancing with Guerrier at a party Credit: Facebook/Cafe Village Tremolat Karen also reportedly told fellow ex-pat pal Beverley Needham Advertisement Beverley told The friend continued: '[Karen] told me the relationship was over and said: 'I'm done' [...] That was her words. She said: 'I'm done.'' Beverley, who was brokering the sale of a cottage to Karen, said the estranged couple saw each other only occasionally, but that the toll of the divorce seemed to weigh heavily on her friend. Alan was said to have denied that he and Karen were divorcing, but said his wife's secret romance with Guerrier left him with "a sense of betrayal". Advertisement Karen was found in her driveway dying from eight injuries to her 'chest, groin, arm and leg'. An autopsy revealed the mum was killed "as she tried to defend herself from a frenzied attack". Another theory amongst the village is that an escaped inmate from a prison 7.5 miles away, which houses mentally ill patients, could have randomly ambushed Karen. The cold-blooded murder has rocked the tight-knit village community - who all appear dumbfounded. Advertisement 12 Police have cordoned off Karen's home for further investigations Credit: Doug Seeburg 12 She is survived by her husband and four children Credit: Facebook 12 Karen was found outside her rental property in the Dordgone, France Credit: Doug Seeburg Emma Rathbone, 45, said: 'She was absolutely lovely. She was at the centre of the village. Everybody knew her. Advertisement "If you were new to the village she would be the first who would make you feel welcome. 'You can see how beautiful the village is. It's like heaven. You don't expect something like that to happen to somebody so lovely.' Charity worker Adrian Carter, who has had a house in the village for a decade, said: 'She was really, really lovely. She was bubbly and a friendly to everyone - both French and English and any other nationalities who were here. 'I was shocked, really really shocked. Genuinely, you would say it's safe. Advertisement 'Knowing that someone has now been arrested make me feel a little bit safer. 'It's such a sleepy place. It's not like a Midsomer Murders sort of place.' Karen's husband Alan, who remains at the couple's home in East London , South Africa , expressed shock and surprise at revelations that his wife had "started a relationship" with another man. Karen and Alan had owned their holiday home in Trémolat for 15 years, splitting time between France and South Africa, where Alan still works. Advertisement Speaking from their home in South Africa, Carter said he learned of his wife's death via a Facebook post read by a cousin who also lives in Trémolat. "She phoned me [...] to say she's sorry to tell me and that she thinks Karen has died. That was the first I heard about it," he said. "No one had got in touch with me at all to let me know what had happened. I found out through my cousin who happened to see it on a Facebook page." The former London Stock Exchange worker, 65, described her as "such a decent, lovely person", and told of the family's shock. Advertisement He said his wife of 30 years was an outgoing, friendly person who "wouldn't hurt a fly", and said her death has been "traumatic" for his family. Karen had lived in Trémolat for more than a decade, where she ran two holiday rental homes. She volunteered at Village Café alongside Guerrier and Autefort, which now hangs a photograph of the late mum and wife while her killer remains at large.


Sunday World
3 hours ago
- Sunday World
Postman remanded after allegedly rioting for two days
Jack Redmond, from Upper Princess Street in Ballymena, is accused of rioting on 9 and 10 June this year. A postman was remanded into custody today accused of rioting on two consecutive days. Appearing in the dock of Ballymena Magistrates Court, 21-year-old Jack Redmond confirmed his identity and that he was aware of the two charges against him. Redmond, from Upper Princess Street in the town, is accused of rioting on 9 and 10 June this year. Giving evidence to the court, Const. Henry said she believed she could connect Redmond to each of the charges. Ballymena Magistrates' Court, where three teenagers appeared on Thursday (Liam McBurney/PA) News in 90 Seconds - June 28th None of the facts of the case were opened today but previous courts have heard how serious disorder erupted hours after two Romanian teenagers appeared in court on Monday and were remanded into custody charged with attempted rape. There was an initially peaceful protest but that turned into violence and serious public disorder with police being attacked by a crowd throwing missiles such as bricks, bottles, masonry and fireworks. There was further rioting on consecutive nights thereafter, mainly in Ballymena but it also spread to other towns in Northern Ireland where there had been sporadic violence, described by police as 'racially motivated thuggery.' To date, more than 60 police officers have been hurt during the disorder, more than a dozen defendants have been charged to court and dozens of others arrested for varying offences. In court today, defence solicitor Emma McCann said she had intended to make an application for bail on Redmond's behalf, 'based on the quality and calibre of the evidence.' The court heard however that due to technical difficulties, that was not possible. Highlighting that Redmond 'should not remain in custody any longer than he has to,' Miss McCann suggested that 'the best thing to do' would be to remand the 21-year-old into custody to appear again on Monday. Applying for legal aid, she revealed that Redmond 'works full time as a postman.' Remanding the defendant into custody, District Judge Oonagh Mullan adjourned the case to Monday, ordering that Redmond will appear again via video link.


Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
England v Germany chaos as players accused of beer theft by 'distraught' woman
In a bizarre twist to their Euro final preparations, Germany's Under-21 team have been embroiled in a scandal involving accusations of nicking beer glasses following their semi-final victory over France. An apparently "distraught" woman, reported to be a VIP host at the Kosicka Futbalova Arena, was spotted in tears while charging towards the German team coach — sidestepping stewards and an armed guard to snap pictures. The incident surfaced after the squad's win, according to Bild as quoted by The Sun. While reports suggest she thought the team filched the glasses, Markus Beer, the Germany Under-21 press officer, has absolved his team: "It was all completely different. The woman had brought several beer mugs into the catacombs, presumably for the referees. Then later, empty mugs were there, which were suddenly gone," Beer explained insisting on the players' innocence, adding, "Someone must have thrown them away. She obviously thought our players had simply taken them. But that was definitely not the case." Amidst the mayhem, Germany is focused on clinching the European Championships title, boasting an unblemished record en route to the final where they face England, a team they edged out 2-1 during the group phase and later triumphed over Italy with extra-time heroics in the quarter-finals. Germany breezed into the final, taking an early lead against France with goals from Nelson Wieper and Nick Woltemade within the first 15 minutes. Brighton's rising star Brajan Gruda sealed the deal in stoppage time, ensuring a comfortable win. England, on the other hand, had to dig deep, scraping through their group with just four points. They replicated last year's final by knocking out Spain in the quarters and edged past the Netherlands in the semis, thanks to Harvey Elliott's crucial double, reports the Mirror. After his decisive performance, Elliott reflected on the importance of stepping up when it counts: "You can speak as much as you want on the pitch, you can say whatever, but at the end of the day when the moment comes and you need to show up, and you need to, for example, in my situation, score a goal," he said, drawing inspiration from Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk's pivotal roles in their title triumph. "It's about how you take that, and those opportunities are vital. Today I'm just so happy I was able to contribute and get the two goals to win us the game."