The Seychelles police on Wednesday conducted operations in Corgat Estate (Mont Fleuri), Plaisance, Eden Village (Roche Caïman) and Anse Royale as part of the Southern African Regional Police Chief Cooperation Organisation exercise.
The police operations in the mentioned areas were revealed to the press by the head of visible policing, superintendent Antoine Denousse, in a press conference held yesterday morning at the police headquarters, Victoria. The operation started early Wednesday morning at 6am from Corgat Estate to Eden Village and from 7.20am in Mont Plaisir, Anse Royale. They ended at 2pm.
He stated that no military officers accompanied the police on the exercise.
Superintendent Denousse said the exercise was a requirement of the Southern African Regional Police Chief Cooperation Organisation (Sarpcco) for the police in southern Africa where each country was given a different type of operation to conduct, related to criminal activities, as exercises to mount.
He added that the task was given following a meeting in Namibia early this year and the operation in Seychelles should have been held on June 22, 2022 but had to be cancelled as police officers were in full preparation for the National Day activities and the state visit of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Superintendent Denousse said the operations, mounted by 70 police officers from different units among whom dog handlers, were successful and several people have been arrested for different offences.
He added that seven people have been arrested for possession of drugs on the streets in Corgat Estate, possession of drugs in houses at the Eden Village and for obstruction of police work at Plaisance. Investigation into all these cases are being carried out.
Superintendent Denousse said the operations were carried out based on police intelligence gathered. He stated that such operations will be repeated constantly once or twice a month depending on the situations and intelligence gathered.
The head of visible policingadded that since the responsibility to deal with drugs falls under the police if they feel the need for assistance in their operations, the military will be called in to give a helping hand.
Superintendent Denousse stated that the operations were documented through body cameras and it will be sent to Sarpcco for analysis via the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The operation was an obligation and a recommendation of the international organisation as part of its information exchange and investigative cooperation between law enforcement agencies in relation to the international movement of illicit firearms.
Superintendent Denousse said although they did not mount any operations in areas like Chetty flats in Anse Aux Pins and others where operations are constantly taking place on a day-to-day basis, they have targeted those specific areas for Wednesday’s exercise based on intelligence gathered.
He added that the police will, as usual, continue with their operations to counter and mitigate criminal activities across the country, including in all black spots and will further increase their presence in new areas such as Ile Soleil, Anse Aux Pins where reports of criminal activities have been reported by people on social media.
With regard to other incidents related to drugs and other criminal offences, such as the machete fight which happened on the streets outside the Barrel discotheque recently, superintendent Denousse confirmed that all of those incidents reported by the police are being investigated.
He stated that the operations carried out by the police are under the orders of the commissioner of police Ted Barbe and not State House.
He took the opportunity to call on members of the public to refrain from making boogie calls and to only call the police when necessary. He also called on them to be more responsible for their own security and that of their properties.
