Detained in Saudi Arabia for alleged cocaine trafficking – Ganeshan Irlen’s wife: “Help him”

Arrested on June 17 for an alleged drug trafficking case, Ganeshan Irlen is detained in Dammam. His wife is now hoping for intervention from the Mauritian authorities.

Nearly a month and a half after the arrest of Ganeshan Irlen in Saudi Arabia for an alleged drug trafficking case, his wife Medha (not her real name) is launching an appeal to the Mauritian authorities. Without direct news from him, this resident of Pointe-aux-Sables asks the State to provide him with legal and financial assistance so that he can ensure his defense in a country where he risks heavy sanctions. “Mo demann gouvernman pran an sarz so prose, fer li returned Moris. Mo pena kas, kot mo pou al tir kas? Plizier avoka inn demann mwa plis ki Rs 80,000,” she confides to Le Dimanche/L’Hebdo, her voice knotted with emotion.

Ganeshan Irlen, 59, manager of a commercial printing company in Pointe-aux-Sables, was arrested on June 17 upon his arrival at King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities accuse him of having transported three kilos of cocaine hidden in his luggage. Since his arrest, he has been detained in Dammam prison awaiting further legal proceedings.

His lawyer, Rama Valayden, said he was concerned about the legal consequences he could face, including the risk of the death penalty. He sent several correspondence to the Ambassador of Mauritius to Saudi Arabia, Riad Hullemuth, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dhananjay Ramful, as well as to the Attorney General Gavin Glover. The objective is to obtain information on the situation of the detainee and to request the intervention of the Mauritian authorities so that consular and legal assistance can be granted to him.

According to those close to Ganeshan Irlen, this affair originated in an alleged win won in an online lottery in which he had participated during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was reportedly informed that he had won US$10.5 million and asked to travel to Uganda to complete the formalities related to the prize.

On June 14, he left Mauritius aboard a Kenya Airways flight to Uganda. Once there, a suitcase would have been given to him. According to the explanations provided to his family, it must have contained documents relating to his alleged gain. He was then allegedly asked to transport this luggage to Saudi Arabia.

His wife, however, claims to have tried to convince him to give up this trip. “On June 12, he announced his departure. I was shocked. I didn't want him to leave because I was afraid he would contract Ebola. He told us that the organizers had already paid for his plane ticket and his hotel stay and that he would not have to incur any expenses,” she says.

Before his departure, Ganeshan Irlen had taken only clothes, personal effects, an iPad, a MacBook and his documents