What was supposed to be a sunny escape to paradise has become a legal and emotional nightmare for a British mother, who is now sitting in one of Mauritius’ toughest prisons.
Natashia Artug, a 35-year-old mother of two from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, is facing drug smuggling charges that could keep her behind bars for years—before she even gets to stand trial.
Arrested After a Shocking Discovery at the Airport
Natashia’s arrest came after her group’s British Airways flight from Gatwick landed at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport last month.
Authorities made a disturbing discovery—14 kilograms of cannabis packed inside her six-year-old son’s wheelie suitcase.
In total, 161 kilograms of the drug, worth about £1.6 million, was allegedly found among the group.
Natashia was arrested alongside her Romanian boyfriend, 38-year-old Florian Lisman, and five other Britons—four of them women from Cambridgeshire.
The Mauritian government has described the use of a child in the operation as “outrageous and inhumane,” calling it one of the most appalling drug cases the island has seen in recent years.
Locked Up in One of Mauritius’ Toughest Prisons
Following her arrest, Natashia was briefly held under guard with her son at the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit headquarters so they could stay together.
However, once her child’s father flew in to take the boy back to the UK, Natashia was transferred to the infamous Beau Bassin Central Prison near Port Louis.
She’s now one of about 135 women being held in the facility, which is often described as overcrowded, unsanitary, and extremely harsh—especially for foreign inmates.
Conditions in the prison include long hours in the yard under intense heat, limited access to clean water, and poor medical care.
Many detainees reportedly suffer verbal abuse, and foreign prisoners are not even allowed to wear hats to protect themselves from the sun.
A Prison Life Far from Holiday Paradise
While the UK Government states that Mauritius’ prisons meet human rights standards—with activities like pastry baking, hairdressing, and woodwork available—human rights groups and families of inmates paint a much darker picture.
One Reddit post from the sister of a Russian woman detained at the same facility described shocking mistreatment, including racial slurs, verbal threats like “you’ll die here,” and lack of medication.
Another report by the Association for the Prevention of Torture in 2024 echoed those concerns and urged improvements in sanitation, mental health support, and communication tools for foreign prisoners.
British Women Awaiting Trial in Harsh Conditions
Natashia is not alone. She’s being held with four other British women—Lily Watson, 20; Shannon Holness, 29; Laura Kappen, 28; and Shona Campbell, 32—all arrested during the same sting.
With more than half of the prison’s female inmates reportedly foreign and most facing drug charges, it’s clear the Mauritian government is cracking down hard.
The accused could be looking at spending over a year on remand before even getting their day in court.
Meanwhile, their families back in the UK are reeling, insisting that their children were misled or manipulated into the trip.
Families Back Home Share Their Side
The families of the arrested have been speaking out. Carly Wilsdon, whose son Patrick was also detained, said he was offered a “free holiday” by a friend who has since vanished.
She firmly believes Patrick was unaware of the drugs.
“He’s never been in trouble before. This is devastating,” she said.
A relative of Laura Kappen described her as a good person who made a bad decision, possibly tempted by the promise of easy money.
And Shona Campbell’s family shared the heartbreak of having to explain her absence to her young children, who still don’t know the truth.
Claims of Coercion and a Desperate Plea for Help
Natashia insists she had no idea she was carrying cannabis.
According to Justice Abroad, a legal advocacy group helping her case, she suffers from fibromyalgia and is a university student.
They claim she was coerced into the trip by traffickers who threatened her family, describing her as “vulnerable” and exploited.
To help cover legal costs, Natashia has launched a crowdfunding campaign hoping to raise £5,000 for her defense.
Justice Abroad says her case highlights how women—especially mothers—can be targeted by gangs and used as mules under duress.
The Men Face Separate Trials in a Different Facility
While Natashia and the other women remain in the women’s section of Beau Bassin, her boyfriend Florian Lisman and another British man, Patrick Wilsdon, are being held in the men’s prison.
Authorities believe the entire group acted as drug mules—each playing a role in what they describe as an elaborate smuggling operation.
Pressure Grows on Authorities Over Prison Conditions
Although Mauritius has made some efforts to maintain international standards on paper, the reality inside the island’s prisons seems grim.
The US State Department, in an earlier report, raised concerns about sanitation, hygiene, and drug abuse in the facilities.
Families say they feel helpless, with little communication and few channels for complaint.
Despite reassurances from the UK Foreign Office that they are in contact with local authorities, the detainees and their loved ones are left to navigate an uncertain, punishing legal process on foreign soil.
More Than Just a Drug Case—A Story of Exploitation?
What makes this case stand out isn’t just the volume of drugs or the dramatic arrest—but the disturbing use of a child in the operation and the possibility that at least some of the suspects may have been manipulated into a role they didn’t fully understand.
For now, Natashia Artug waits in limbo—far from home, cut off from her children, and facing the full weight of Mauritian law.
Whether she is a willing accomplice or a victim of coercion remains for the court to decide.