British High Commission helps in war on drugs |29 September 2009

The British High Commission made the donation last week at the Central Police Station in the presence of several officers and forensic chemist Jemmy Bouzin.

High commissioner Matthew Forbes handed over the supplies worth R38,000 to police commissioner Ernest Quatre.

The equipment will be used by the forensic team at the Scientific Support Criminal Records Bureau at Mont Fleuri.

The urine and saliva-testing kits will provide a fast and effective way to test for the presence of common drugs. There are 12 drugs covered by the test, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other opiate-derived substances.

The kits are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office via the British High Commission.

Addressing those present, Mr Forbes said the UK and Seychelles share a common problem and goal. He said drug abuse is an increasing issue and so his office is offering the donation, which he hopes will help in the fight against it.

Mr Bouzin thanked the high commission, on behalf of the Seychelles police force, for the donation.

He said many partners have come forward to offer support in this fight against drugs, and this donation is a sign of the commitment and continued support from the high commission in the development and growth of Seychelles.

Mr Bouzin then gave a demonstration of the testing kits and an explanation of how they work.

This donation complements the ongoing cooperation between the UK and Seychelles in the field of forensic science. The British High Commission has already sponsored a fingerprint course for sub-inspector James Tirant this year, and in 2007 a similar donation of testing kits was made.