Seychellois sentenced to death in Egypt for drug trafficking-Ministry sheds more light on the case |12 April 2013

The three Seychellois involved in the drug trafficking case: (from l to r) Ronny Jean, Yvon Vinda and Dean Loze

According to a press release from the ministry, the three Seychellois were crew onboard a boat owned by British national Charles Raymond Ferndale.
The press release names the three Seychellois as Ronny Norman Jean, aged 41; Yvon John Vinda (38); and Dean Dominic Loze (27).

All three were part of the crew onboard a boat owned by British national Charles Raymond Ferndale aged 74. They were all taken into custody, according to a report provided by the Egyptian authorities.

A Pakistani national, Munawar Saeed Khan, aged 44, is also involved in this incident.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Transport press release adds that the report from Egypt states that the boat was in Egyptian territorial waters near the islands of Zaborgad at the time of the arrest on April 22, 2011.

Egyptian authorities recovered three tonnes of hashish in 118 bags which was bound for Egypt.

The narcotics recovered originated from Pakistan and had an estimated street value of US $4.5 million or R53 million. 
Since learning of the fate of the three Seychellois, the government of Seychelles has made an appeal for clemency, appealing to the government of Egypt to commute their sentences to life imprisonment, this in a strong condemnation of the death penalty.

In relation to the Seychelles government’s position on this case, Home Affairs and Transport Minister Joël Morgan has said: “All offences of drug trafficking are considered as very serious crimes in Seychelles and under our laws, this carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The Seychelles government has zero tolerance for drug traffickers and will methodically and with conviction go after those who profit or traffic narcotics into the Republic of Seychelles to the fullest extent of our laws. Our government, while supporting strong sentencing for those found guilty in this case in Egypt, cannot however support the sentence of the death penalty which goes against our Constitution. We are at this time continuing in our efforts with the Egyptian government for them to review the sentencing of the three Seychellois, commuting them to life imprisonment instead.”