Subscribe for free: News alert
  • Follow us:
Go to mobile version:

NDEA targeting increased drug dealings by 'outsiders' in the eastern region of Seychelles' main island

Victoria, Seychelles | September 16, 2014, Tuesday @ 19:24 in National » GENERAL | By: Brigitte Mendes | Views: 1909
NDEA targeting increased drug dealings by 'outsiders' in the eastern region of Seychelles' main island

Crest of the NDEA (Seychelles News Agency)

Photo license  

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) says it has arrested six persons as part of an operation targeting increased drug dealings at Anse Aux Pins and Pointe Larue, two districts on the eastern coast of the Seychelles main island of Mahé.

In a press statement issued this afternoon, NDEA says the arrests were made during an operation codenamed ‘Katiti’ (Creole name for a small bird known as the Seychelles Kestrel) that was carried out to counter the growing tendency for drug use in the two districts.

“The operation has been initiated in response to the increasing use of these areas by outsiders, who arrive there to conduct their drug dealing and distribution network,” reads the statement adding that residents of the areas had expressed concern vis-à-vis this tendency.

According to the NDEA information gathered following recent arrests made in the Anse Aux Pins and Pointe Larue districts have substantiated concerns that the offenders are not from the areas.

Statistics show that 64 percent of those arrested for drug related activities at Anse Aux Pins and 43 percent of those arrested at Pointe Larue are not from the two districts, says the drug enforcement agency.

“As a result of the presence of these outsiders the drug related arrests in both areas is almost twice that for the remainder of the country,” says NDEA adding that “the majority of those involved are young impressionable people who are doing irreparable damage to their health and damaging the family and social fabric of the societies in which they live.”

The Agency says it is working closely with and has enlisted the help of various partners from both communities in its effort to eliminate drugs from these areas.    

“The strategy being pursued by the NDEA operation involves maintaining a greater presence, arresting where necessary, stopping, searching and controlling those involved in drug related activity, with a view to preventing the use of either area from being used for drug related activity.”

The NDEA adds that it is also pursuing its ongoing programme in schools where it is adopting a pro-active approach to increase awareness of the dangers of drugs especially among young people.

“In educating our youth of the new amendments to associated drug legislation, along with the harsher penalties that drug offenders face, we are ensuring that young people are aware, not only of the ill effects on their own health, but also the lasting detrimental effects a drug conviction or even a drug related arrest may have on their lives and future prospects,” concludes the statement.

General » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: NDEA, drugs

More from General →

Related Articles

Business →

Top news


Archives

» Advanced search