Did you think that ‘‘dektis’’ are utensils for kitchen use only? If you did, you could be right as you belong to the right-thinking group of people. But for those who are bent on making use of anything and anyone for the purpose of enhancing the drugs trafficking business, nothing is too insignificant. In fact there were times when drug traffickers put drugs in the statuettes of deities before bringing them to Mauritius which must not only be a ‘‘plaisir’’ country for the drug users but also a place where nirvana is reached.

In one instance drugs were placed in the dead corpse of a baby and it was sheer luck that the authorities came across the prohibited substance. What is astonishing is that, with the arrests of so called drug barons like Gro-Derek, there are still people who are taking the risk of bringing drugs into the country. The rewards must really be fabulous for people to continue being part of this business. With a population of 1.2 million we must be the largest drug consuming country. Or are the drugs meant for the tourists and is this destination being known as the place where you can get as high as you want with as little as possible? There is one element in the drugs business which must not be overlooked. When drug traffickers want to get away with large amounts of the stuff coming into the country, they sacrifice someone who is not important. It is far better for them to get one small ‘‘walking fish’’ arrested and to pacify the authorities that the war on drugs is being won. But what is caught is insignificant and that is why the drugs keep coming in. It is impossible to believe that we have so many of our compatriots hooked on drugs. Those that are so hooked are given methadone treatment. So who is the intended target of all the drugs that find their way here? Or is Mauritius a hub or a freeport for drugs? Is this country being used as a transit point for the international drug trade? Is there a connection between drug trafficking and terrorist activities?

Whatever the real facts, we should all be extremely worried about the expanded drug business. We are all aware that many foreigners who were released on bail simply vanished from our shores. This kind of activity can only be conducted provided there is big money. Associated with this illegal activity is another very worrying development. That is the trafficking of small children for sexual gratification. What has emerged so far is a cause for grave concern. Parents seem to shirk their responsibilities and the criminals are only too happy to look after the kids who are vulnerable.

This country has a large Police force with specialized units. If only all the units could feed information into a multi-tasking team, it would be possible to meaningfully address many of the illegal activities currently going on. Until that happens or in order for this to happen we must all start banging a dekti to make noise, just like what people do in Latin American countries. Dektis can play a multi-functional role after all.