Appeal court raises zamal traffickers' terms to up to seven years
The Saint-Denis appeal court raised the sentences of three of four men who ran zamal from Réunion to Mauritius between July 2023 and April 2025. The former chief of staff of the Sainte-Suzanne mayor and a second defendant drew seven years each, a third five years; the fourth term stayed at four years.
🇷🇪 Saint-Denis, Réunion
After the prosecution sought up to ten years, the Saint-Denis court of appeal
increased the sentences of three of four men prosecuted for trafficking zamal
between Réunion and Mauritius.[1] Bertrand De Boisvilliers and Laurent Mariaye
were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, Gaëtan Petitdemange to five years,
and Guito Louise’s four-year term was left unchanged.[1]
De Boisvilliers, former chief of staff of the Sainte-Suzanne town hall and owner
of the boat l’Abyss, described himself as a mere transporter tasked with handing
the goods over at sea to Mauritians; the prosecution called him an essential link
in the maritime network.[1] Petitdemange presented himself as a lookout who
opened the road during transports.[1] All four admitted the substance of their
involvement while minimising their roles, for trafficking that ran from July 2023
to April 2025.[1]
Sources
- Trafic de zamal vers Maurice : les peines alourdies par la cour d’appel. Le Quotidien, 14 October 2026.
Open questions the AI reported
- The map marks Saint-Denis city, not a precise courthouse location.
- Only Le Quotidien has published this hearing in text form; a second outlet account has not been found.
- A landrace summary of an unopened Zinfos974 piece gives six years rather than seven for De Boisvilliers; Le Quotidien's seven-year figure is used here.
- The quantities of zamal moved over the July 2023 to April 2025 period were not stated.