Mauritius court denies bail for alleged cannabis trafficker
Marie Nathalia Laviolette remains in jail after the Supreme Court rejected her appeal for judicial review.
Marie Nathalia Laviolette, a 37-year-old resident of L’Escalier, will stay in prison after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision to deny her bail. The judges rejected her request for judicial review on October 21, 2026, confirming the Mahébourg court's earlier refusal on March 10, 2026.
The case began in January 2026 with the sea-borne import of 20 kg of cannabis from Reunion Island, valued at 24 million rupees and hidden in Baie-du-Cap. Police arrested three suspects, including Laviolette’s husband, Jean Berty David Kardaree, on January 31, 2026. Another arrestee, Terry Toussaint, later identified Laviolette as "Sorenza," instructing her to collect the package and deliver it to Rose-Belle.
Laviolette faces charges of aggravated drug trafficking and incitement. Her lawyer argued for bail citing no drugs or suspicious money at her home, a clean record, her bakery business, and four minor children. However, judges Iqbal Maghooa and Renuka Devi Dabee denied bail, citing the gravity of the offense, flight risk, and potential for witness tampering or evidence destruction, including the disappearance of her phone and the cannabis.
Why it mattersMarie Nathalia Laviolette is affected by the Supreme Court's decision to keep her in detention while she faces charges of drug trafficking.