Overview

• Natashia Artug and seven others were detained at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport after arriving on a British Airways flight from London Gatwick.
• Investigators uncovered a total of 161kg of cannabis across all luggage, including 24 packages weighing 14kg in the six-year-old’s bag.
• Mauritian authorities condemned the use of a child’s suitcase to transport narcotics as ‘outrageous and inhumane’ and one of the most revolting cases in recent years.
• Artug asserts she was coerced by a criminal gang and was unaware the suitcases contained cannabis.
• The child has flown back to the UK to live with his father while the Foreign Office provides consular support and Justice Abroad launches a £5,000 legal defence fundraiser.