A BRIT who went missing in Mauritius has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling £110,000 worth of cannabis onto the tropical island.
Lee Adams, 40, was intercepted as he arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport in the tiny East African country.
Reports indicate that Adams, hailing from Yardley in Birmingham, drew attention by acting suspiciously after disembarking from a flight coming from London Gatwick on May 24, catching the attention of customs officials.
When Adams, who is employed at a recruitment agency, was unable to satisfactorily explain the purpose of his trip, it prompted officers from the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) to take action.
The officers found 5.75 kilos of cannabis with a street value of £110,000 concealed within his suitcase.
According to local news reports Adams, who was confronted with the evidence during an interrogation, admitted his role and was arrested on the spot.
Authorities quickly initiated a “controlled delivery” operation on the holiday island, which led to the arrest of two other suspected accomplices, both thought to be British.
The trio appeared before Mahébourg District Court on drug trafficking charges on May 26.
An investigation has been launched and they currently remain in custody.
Married Adams had told family and friends back in the UK that he had taken a job doing demolition and security work on Mauritius.
But when he failed to make contact with his wife Rebecca he was reported missing in a frantic Facebook post.
A source said: “He knew a friend in Mauritius, with a company paying £4000 a week, he said he couldn’t pass it up.
“But then no one heard from him, not even his wife. Rebecca messaged his work pals to see if they’d heard from him and an appeal went out on Facebook.
“It was only then she discovered he’d been arrested when she saw a local news report online.”
It’s alleged Lee didn’t buy his own plane ticket and a source claims another man recruited him for the trip.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a number of British nationals detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The arrest comes amid a spate of similar drug mule cases – with around 13 Brits currently kept in hellhole jails abroad.
Three Brits are facing the death penalty in Bali accused of trafficking more than £300,000 worth of cocaine onto the island.
A Brit couple were charged with smuggling £1million of cannabis from Thailand a mere few days ago.
While several young women have been arrested trying to smuggle cannabis from Thailand.
In the last couple of months, glam tourist Bella Culley allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia and was locked away in a brutal ex-Soviet prison despite claiming to be pregnant.
And former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was then caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka.
Young mum, Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage.
Separately, two drug-smuggling pals were caught with 35kg of cannabis at the airport after a “shopping trip” to New York.
And Isabella Daggett, 21, was arrested just five weeks after she relocated to Dubai from Yorkshire after landing a new job.
The Brit woman is rotting inside Dubai’s hellhole prison on alleged drug charges fell in with “wrong people at the wrong time”, her family has said.
Glamorous Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley landed back on UK soil with their suitcases seemingly packed full of shopping.
The pair, both 30, were stopped at Birmingham International Airport with more than 35kg of cannabis in their bags.
Bannister, now of Cotton Lane, Manchester, was sentenced to 20 months suspended for 18 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Whalley, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.
Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveal
By Patrick Harrington, Foreign News Reporter
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: “Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while.
“There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand’s islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this.
“There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail.
“This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals.
“It’s easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa.
“Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods.
“They’re usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them.
“These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media.
“Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad.
“They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand.
“Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market.
“We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.”
