Very busy weeks for NDEA |19 December 2012

In a communiqué, the NDEA said that on December 12, 2012 its agents helped by the NDEA dog unit arrested a 45-year-old unemployed man from Grand Anse Praslin after they found him in possession of six kilograms of cannabis with a street value of R600,000. This man has been placed in custody awaiting charge.

In the Supreme Court

Michael Pillay, a 44-year old seaman of La Misère was arrested at the Seychelles International Airport in 2009. He was intercepted attempting to smuggle nearly 3.5kg of hashish in a black compressor. On November 2012, he appeared before the Supreme Court charged with importation of a controlled drug and was sentenced to nine years at the Montagne Posée prison.

In a second case also before the Supreme Court was Jude Stephen Pointe. He was arrested for trafficking of a controlled substance on October 1, 2012.

The arrest came following a search of his wife’s residence at Mont Buxton which revealed 52 grams of cannabis and 2.7 grams of cannabis resin concealed on the premises. Mr Pointe is a 33-year-old salesman originally from Roche Caïman. He appeared before the Supreme Court this week and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of possession. He received two five-year sentences for two counts of possession which will run concurrently.                                                            
On December 3, 2012, Roger Laurencine, a 34-year-old fisherman from Baie St Anne Praslin was sentenced to six years imprisonment after he was convicted by the Supreme Court of trafficking heroin for an offence committed on August 7, 2010.

Derek Bonnelame, a 31-year-old musician from Rochon, who was arrested at La Louise on April 15, 2010, appeared before the Supreme Court on November 16, 2012. He was convicted having pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of controlled drugs and fined R10,000 or nine months imprisonment in default of payment.
 
On December 7, 2012 the Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction and sentence of 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy to import a controlled drug imposed on Livette Assary who was convicted by the Supreme Court on July 1, 2010.

Other recent convictions include Kelson Alcindor, a 28-year-old beach boy from Beau Vallon, who was sentenced to six years imprisonment after he was convicted of possessing 42 grams of heroin at Les Mamelles on October 15, 2010.

On November 22, 2012, Lucina Bacco, a 53-year-old baby sitter from North East Point, was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for possession of 32.4 grams of cannabis on June 23, 2012.

In addition fines totaling R57,000 were imposed on six other defendants who appeared before the courts in the past number of weeks.