British mum Nastashia Artug, 35, and her Romanian partner were arrested in Mauritius after an estimated £1.6 million worth of cannabis was reportedly found inside luggage
A British mum who was arrested in a drugs bust in Mauritius with her six-year-old son claimed she was “coerced” into carrying a suitcase filled with cannabis. Her Romanian partner was also said to have drugs in his luggage.
Natashia Artug, 35, was one of eight people apprehended who were accused of carrying an estimated 161kg of cannabis worth an estimated £1.6million, in their bags. Her son’s luggage reportedly had 24 packs of the drugs wrapped in cellophane and weighed some 14kg.
Natashia, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was said to be “vulnerable” and had been coerced into travelling to the island nation by people who threatened her and her family, London-based non-profit Justice Abroad said.
The group said the mum also did not know the bags had cannabis inside. Her partner Florian Lisman, 38, originally from Romania, was arrested and said to be carrying 32 drug packages, an iPhone and £260.
Others who were detained included Patrick Lee Wilsdon, 22, Lily Watson, 20, Shannon Ellen Josie Holness 29, Laura Amy Kappen 28, and Shona Campbell, 32. Each of them carried between 30 and 32 packages, Mauritian newspaper Le Mauricien reported.
All of them had been on the same British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport last month. They have all been charged with drug trafficking and remain in custody.
“Justice Abroad is representing Natashia Artug, a British mother who is currently detained in Mauritius, facing serious drug charges after being arrested at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport with her six-year-old son on arrival after having been forced to carry a suitcase containing cannabis without her knowledge,” the non profit said.
“Natashia is a single mother of two, who suffers from fibromyalgia [a condition characterised by cognitive difficulties] but who attends university to give her children a better future. She was coerced into travelling to Mauritius with her young son, and to carry the luggage which she did not know contained cannabis, by individuals involved in the drugs trade who took advantage of her vulnerability and made threats to cause serious violence to her and her family if she refused to obey their orders.
“The luggage they were forced to carry was fitted with Apple tacking devices used by international drug trafficking gangs to help smugglers keep abs on their shipments.”
The boy, who was unaware of what was in his bag, has reportedly already flown back to the UK and is staying with his dad. Justice Abroad has since launched a Crowd Justice fundraising campaign in a bid to raise £5,000 toward her legal defence.
A Foreign Office spokesperson told MailOnline: “We are supporting a British national detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.