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.