Raids yield 60 arrests and R150,000 worth of drug seizures |12 February 2014

More than 60 arrests and approximately R150,000 worth of drugs have been seized during a series of raids carried out by the NDEA (National Drugs Enforcement Agency) over the past week on the three islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.

One of those arrested was a 13-year-old boy who was reported to be selling drugs to fellow students at a school in Victoria.

Six of those arrested have appeared before the courts due to the seriousness of the charges and have been remanded in custody. These include:

• A 39-year-old steward who was arrested as he was about to board a flight to North Island. He was found to be carrying close to 100 grammes of herbal material;

• A 32-year-old resident of Mahé who was arrested on La Digue in possession of heroin;

• A 32-year-old farmer from Anse Royale who was arrested after the NDEA found a trafficking amount of heroin on his property;

• A 17-year-old girl and her 36-year-old partner were arrested at Bel Ombre after heroin was discovered concealed on her person;

• A 35-year-old self-employed man was arrested on Praslin during the course of a planned operation after being found with approximately 250 grammes of herbal material suspected to be cannabis.

In addition to finding drugs the agents also uncovered a large cache of jewellery concealed in the house of a drug dealer at Anse Aux Pins. The jewellery is believed to have been bartered in exchange for drugs by those who do not have the cash to pay the dealer.