The Seychelles Police Academy (SPA) has stopped taking in for treatment people with drug withdrawal symptoms, the Public Health Authority (PHA) has announced.

The facility has been returned to the Seychelles Police.

It was on August 29, 2017 that the PHA requisitioned the SPA dormitories for the Health Care Agency (HCA) to use as a temporary treatment facility for the management of people who were on drug withdrawal to cope with the surge in the number of cases.

Since its opening a total of 115 people (99 males /16 females) have been managed there, according to a joint communiqué from the PHA and HCA.

“All clients were satisfactorily cared for. The SPA facilities have provided the optimal environment for caring of this group of patients with the appropriate level of security and enough space for therapeutic activities,” says the communiqué.

The communiqué notes that since the beginning of this crisis, there has been a decreasing trend in the number of clients presenting with illicit drug withdrawal symptoms. Currently, the number of people attending HCA facilities with these symptoms is around 0 – 2 per day.

The communiqué states that the drop-in centres that are under Wellness Clinic remain functional.  “Illicit drug users wishing to be assisted and who are not registered with drop-in centres, are advised to register with the Agency for Prevention of Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation,” it says.

The PHA and the HCA have thanked the SPA for its understanding and support during this time.

‘I am one of the rare people to have made it full circle in the criminal justice system’

New Commissioner of Police, Kishnan Labonté, has officially sworn to uphold the Constitution of Seychelles and administer law and order without fear or favour.

The official swearing in of Commissioner Labonte took place yesterday morning at State House before the President of the Republic Danny Faure, Vice-President Vincent Meriton, Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Pillay, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Mathilda Twomey, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nicholas Prea, other leaders in the National Assembly and high officials.

Also duly present were members of the commissioners’ family, namely his wife Jeanette Labonte, his son and daughter as well as his step-daughter.

As prescribed by Article 160(1) of the Constitution, Kishnan Labonte was last week nominated as Commissioner of Police by President Danny Faure, and his nomination was subsequently approved by the National Assembly.

With the ceremony yesterday, Mr Labonte officially replaces former Commissioner Reginald Elizabeth whose resignation took effect two days prior, on October 7.

Agents and officers of local law enforcement agencies have conducted a two-day special joint exercise whereby they intensified ship boarding, coastal patrols, airport luggage and body searches with emphasis made on trans-border criminal activities like human trafficking, drug smuggling, vehicle thefts, contrabands, wildlife related crimes at all points of entry as well as on the roads.

Dubbed USALAMA the exercise is the fourth of its kind and is done annually and was conducted here on Wednesday and Thursday at the same time as it was being carried out in other countries of the region which are members of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO) like Seychelles.

One hundred and nine police officers of various ranks have been promoted.

The promotion ceremony took place at the Seychelles Police Academy last Friday in the presence of Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon, who also holds the portfolio for Home Affairs under which the police falls.

During the ceremony 42 constables were promoted to the rank of corporal; 32 corporals were promoted to sergeants while 17 sergeants received the rank of sub-inspectors.

Ten sub-inspectors were promoted to inspectors; 5 inspectors to assistant superintendents and 2 assistant superintendents to superintendents.

The highlight was the promotion of one superintendent, Francois Freminot, to chief superintendent.

He will now take over the overall commander role of the CID, replacing one of the foreign officers, Christaan Marx, whose contract has just ended. Mr Marx has been mentoring Mr Freminot for about 2 and a half years now.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Commissioner of Police (ComPol) Reginald Elizabeth noted that the Police Force has a selection panel in place to consider promotion which is based on recommendation from respective Commanders and also on availability of budget.

Fighting illegal immigration, drug trafficking, tax evasion and criminality in general are indeed some of the most pressing challenges that governments all over the world face, and Seychelles is no exception.

To equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to combat such illicit practices, 20 young Seychellois from various departments such as Customs, the National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA), the Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC), the Police Force among others will undertake a training course that will be held in the Italian Guadia di Finanza in the city of Orvieto from September 4-22, 2017.

The training is fully funded by the Italian government in support of the sub-Saharan African countries.

On the 13th July 2017 SGT Eddy Luc, CPL Aubrey Rapid, PC Kevin  Pierre-Louis, PC Anthony Mangroo and PC Jim Vidot  and their dogs received certificates for successfully completing a four-month General Purpose Police Dog Course.   

Congratulation to SGT Luc who was selected as the Best graduate of the course.

Lapolis i rod lasistans militer, Interpol e ogmant rekonpans

Dan zot demars pour retrouv Marvin Asba de semenn apre son disparisyon, lapolis in demann Prezidan Danny Faure, ki Komandan an Sef Lafors Defans, pour ki militer i asiste zot dan zot loperasyon ek resers pour retrouv sa zenn garson.

Lapolis in osi lans lapel avek Lapolis Enternasyonal Interpol pour ganny lasistans detektiv enternasyonal  pour asiste zot dan zot bann envestigasyon.

Sete Komisyonner lapolis Msye Reginald Elizabeth ki ti donn sa bann lenformasyon lapres lokal yer bomaten.

Komisyonner Elizabeth in osi dir ki lapolis in ogmant sa rekonpans ki zot ti pe ofer pour lenformasyon konkret ki okenn dimoun i kapab fourni sorti 50 mil roupi pour vin 100 mil roupi.

Komisyonner Elizabeth in fer kler ki larzan pour sa rekonpans in sorti dan bidze ki lapolis i gannyen.

The National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) has made two arrests during the last week of April 2017.

In the first case NDEA agents arrested a 27-year-old man on April 26, 2017 at Anse Boileau for the offence of trafficking in a controlled drug.

The man was arrested with approximately 4.17grammes of suspected heroin wrapped in cling film, some herbal materials suspected to be cannabis also wrapped in cling film and a sum of R4,636.50 in different denominations along with a digital scale. 

At the NDEA station a case was registered against him for the courts then he was fingerprinted, interviewed and photographed before being cell transferred to the Central Police Station. 

There was no one on board the seven-metre fibreglass boat when it sank close to Silhouette on Sunday afternoon, the Islands Development Company (IDC) has said.

In a press communiqué dated Monday May 8, 2017, the IDC wrote that the seven-metre fibreglass boat belonged to La Belle Tortue guesthouse on Silhouette island and had gone to Grand Barbe for a visit.

The boat was carrying five persons, including the manager of the establishment, some staff and friends.

Still according to the communiqué, the boat got to Grand Barbe and was anchored close to the beach.

No undeclared firearms have entered the country recently, the Minister for Home Affairs Mitcy Larue told Assembly members yesterday morning, but she stated that an internal investigation is being conducted to determine what really happened and once this is completed the Assembly will be informed of the findings.

This was in answer to a private notice question asked by the leader of the opposition Wavel Ramkalawan who also wanted to know the owner of the said arms, the procedures to follow when foreigners enter the country with firearms as well as under which conditions foreigners are given permission to enter the country with firearms.

Minister Larue stated that the arms in question belonged to the personnel security of His Highness the Emir of Qatar. With regard to arrangements and procedures in place for foreigners to bring firearms in the country, Minister Larue said authorisation and permission in writing should be sought from the Commissioner of Police and there are procedures in place to follow.

“In this particular case a request was received from the Department of Foreign Affairs and was forwarded to the Commissioner of Police who circulated copies to the head of response tactical support services and the head of the airport police who then informed its security and customs,” Minister Larue informed members, noting that all the above mentioned parties work together to verify and inspect the arms before a related form with all the necessary information is countersigned by all.

Minister Larue stressed that these procedures apply both on entry and when the arms leave our country.