The National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) has arrested three persons for the offence of trafficking in a controlled drug during the course of last weekend and in the middle of this week.

During an operation conducted on Saturday April 15, 2017 at Kap Bonm Zan, Anse Royale NDEA agents arrested a 45-year-old man after they found herbal materials suspected to be cannabis drug and 180 suspected cannabis plants at his house.

Also found during the operation after the NDEA searched his house was a digital scale and a sum of R3,125 in different denominations.

A fire broke out in a Hyster container handler at the New Port yesterday afternoon at around 1.45pm, but fortunately there were no fatalities.

The Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency was soon alerted of the incident and Seychelles NATION has learned that the fire started after a small explosion in the Hyster container handler – a vehicle used to lift containers on the port. The fire also partly burned items in two nearby containers.

Nine officers from the police and other law enforcement agencies, namely the Financial Intelligence Unit, National Drug Enforcement Agency and the customs department received their certificates yesterday after following a week-long training course in cyber-enable financial crimes.

The course was conducted by four experts from the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) and the Interpol and was run under the European Union’s Maritime Security MASE programme/Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) framework and financed by the European Union (EU).

It was aimed at building the capacity of the country’s law enforcement agencies involved in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing activities linked to maritime crimes.

Present at the ceremony were the Commissioner of Police Reginald Elizabeth, senior officials from relevant agencies.

A group of agents from the National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA), the Marine Police Unit and the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) are following two days of in-depth training to increase their knowledge of the dhow, its different compartments and possible hiding places.

The objective of such a training is to ensure these law enforcement agents are better prepared and are more knowledgeable when conducting open seas operations which involve searching such vessels for drugs as well as contraband goods.

The training includes theory sessions as well as practical; the latter will take place on an Iranian dhow berthed at the Bois de Rose jetty.  

The dhow, which was intercepted and seized by local law enforcement authorities last year, had concealed in its different compartments, a large consignment of drugs.

As the holiday season approaches with more people attending functions and an increase in consumption of alcohol which could lead to a rise in road vehicle accidents, domestic violence cases and crimes in general, the police have launched a Festive Operational Plan.

During the launch there were presentations on crime statistics, overview of opportunist crimes, road traffic deterrent initiatives, unveiling of posters for the second phase of the campaign ‘Arrive alive –drunk driving and speeding wreck lives’ and also that for home safety and business protection.

Some two thousand of these posters will then be distributed all over the country for education purposes.

Two forensic experts from Cellmark Forensic Services in the United Kingdom are in the country to assist the Seychelles Police in setting up a state-of-the-art DNA forensic laboratory.

The two engineers – Christopher Ford, operations development manager and Darran Bowden, project engineer of Cellmarks Forensic Services – on Friday met the Minister for Home Affairs, Mitcy Larue; Commissioner of Police, Reginald Elizabeth and Superintendent Jemmy Bouzin of the forensic department of the Seychelles Police Force, to present to them what their company has to offer in terms of services and equipment.

The meeting with the minister at her Independence House office  in Victoria was to showcase the government’s total commitment to the project.

The experts’ work started back in June 2015 when they were sponsored by Interpol to come over and see how a DNA forensic lab could be set up in Seychelles. And during that period between then and now the Seychelles Police was trying to secure funding for the project. This has materialised through a grant from India.

The experts have been here on a nine-day visit and during that time they have been looking at the fine details of exactly how the laboratory needs to be like. They have also met contractors, sharing some knowledge with them on how to build it because there are certain standards that should be met with regard to DNA forensic laboratories.

A lot has been said about noise pollution during the recent months. In January 2017, the Police environmental department mounted a task force to deal with the various complaints from the community. Two months after its existence, the department received 30 complaints from households’ noise pollution, four complaints for car pollution and three cases against picnickers. All have been dealt with and the offenders have been warned.

The Chief of Environmental Police, Andre Freminot, aong with police spokesperson Jean Toussaint, met the press this week to take stock of the situation and talk about the way forward.

“The majority of the population obeys and respects the laws. Unfortunately there are still some complaints about noise pollution. After a new set of laws was enacted last year, the Environment Protection Act, it helped in acting like a deterrent and prevents more offences to be committed. We want to inform the public that there is a task force and we are very serious about our interventions. We want to ask them to redeem themselves before we get into action,” explained Mr Toussaint.

“It has been two months since we are patrolling the hot spots and visiting districts on Mahé only. We have been responding to complaints. When an offence is committed, the police collect all the relevant information and the culprit is warned. Then the information is handed over to the environmental police. It is only the director of Environment that has the mandate to issue a notice for action,” noted Mr Freminot.

The Environment Police do act on Praslin and La Digue also whenever there are complaints.

The Central Bank of Seychelles has communicated to the local media the discovery of Facebook profiles, in the name of its governor Caroline Abel.

In a communiqué released yesterday, the bank has highlighted to the public and media that these profiles are fakes and must in no way be associated with the bank’s governor who, for the time being, has no official presence on this social media platform in her capacity as governor and as well as at a personal level.

Cybercrime is on the rise as many local businessmen and ordinary citizens who do purchases and other money transactions online have lost large sums which have been intercepted and transferred to other fake accounts other than to the original accounts. 

This is after their emails had been hacked and personal information stolen by well-organised criminals from overseas.

Most of these financial interception scams are coming from countries in the Far East as well as South Africa where most Seychellois do business transactions.

This is why the police in collaboration with the Financial Investigation Unit (FUI), the Central Bank of Seychelles and the Bankers Association have come together to warn and educate the public on increasing financial cybercrime activities.

The public at large, especially the business community, are being advised to verify the authenticity of their clients’ details or call their clients to be on the safe side before making any overseas payment transactions.

 A group of police officers who have followed various training courses have received their certificates while others have been recognised for their long years of service with the force.

This took place during a ceremony held yesterday at the Seychelles Trading Company’s conference room in the presence of the Minister for Home Affairs Mitcy Larue, Commissioner of Police Reginald Elizabeth, Air Seychelles representative Joel De Commarmond, senior officers and members of the Seychelles Police.

Twenty-nine officers received certificates for Developing Performance Leadership, thirteen received certificates for Training of Trainers while fourteen received their Customer Service certificates.

The three courses were delivered by the University of Seychelles (UniSey) during the course of 2015 and 2016.

A group of eleven officers who took a refresher course in practical First Aid led by the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) also received their certificate.

Officers who were rewarded for their long years of service and exemplary conduct have clocked 15, 25 and 40 years with the force.