(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) says it seized 55 grams of a substance which is suspected to be heroin in the Grand Anse area on the archipelago’s second most populated island of Praslin during an operation on Monday September 8, 2014. If proven to be heroin NDEA told SNA that the drug could have a street value of up to $19,000.

According to a press statement issued this morning three men were arrested during the operation.

“Two of the men, one in his thirties and one in his forties, have appeared in court pending a decision on charges to be preferred by the Law officers, the completion of the investigation into the circumstances of the offence, and the preparation of the necessary evidence to a subsequent court hearing. The third man has been released after questioning,” read the statement.

Suspect packages found by the NDEA during the search operation on Praslin on the Monday September 8, 2014. (NDEA) Photo License: CC-BY

NDEA says 101 people have been arrested for drug related offences on Praslin from January to April this year adding that this represents a substantial increase compared to the same period the previous year. NDEA’s deputy Chief Officer Liam Quinn has told SNA that the figure for 2013 was around 30 thus there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of people arrested for drug related offences on Praslin.

“Drug seizures on Praslin now account for 36% of all cases of cultivation, 16% of all possession cases and 6% of trafficking cases,” read the NDEA statement.

In a separate development, the Seychelles National Drug Enforcement Agency also seized 10 grams of heroin at Roche Caiman, a district on the eastern coast of the archipelago’s main island of Mahé, last week.

The seizure NDEA said was part of its ongoing investigation targeting a major distribution network in the area.

Investigations are ongoing in this case.