the fight against drug trafficking, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from the Commissioner of P…
(No. B/287) Mr P. Venkatasami (Third Member for Quartier Militaire & Moka) asked the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Finance, Minister for Rodrigues and Outer Islands whether, in regard to the fight against drug trafficking, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from the Commissioner of Police, information as to the number of searches carried out in relation thereto in Constituency No. 8, Quartier Militaire and Moka since January 2023 to date, indicating the – (a) number of – (i) arrests effected, and (ii) convictions secured in connection therewith, and (b) actions taken for law enforcement in relation thereto within the said Constituency.
Reply: I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that, from January 2023 to 03 April 2025, 646 searches have been effected by Police in Constituency No. 8 – Quartier Militaire and Moka, in relation to dangerous drugs and other illicit substances. Out of these, 285 searches led to the seizure of dangerous drugs and other illicit substances. No drugs or any illicit substance were found in the remaining 361 searches. With regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that following the searches, 288 persons have been arrested. I am further informed that as at 03 April 2025, all the cases were either still under enquiry or awaiting advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions or pending trial. As such, there has not been any conviction. Regarding part (b) of the question, I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that a multi-pronged strategy has been put in place in regard to the fight against drug trafficking around the island, including Constituency No. 8, whereby the following actions are taken – (i) regular crackdown operations for the prevention and detection of drug cases;
113 (ii) identification and tracking of drug peddlers as well as profiling of ‘Persons of Interest’ through intelligence gathering to identify their role and involvement in the drug nexus; (iii) drug mapping to locate ‘Areas of Concern’ where drug activities are being carried out and drug addicts tend to loiter; (iv) regular aerial patrols through helicopters and drones to detect cultivation of cannabis; (v) sensitization campaigns by the Crime Prevention Unit, Brigade pour la Protection de la Famille and ADSU Education Cells to raise awareness on the ill- effects of substance abuse, including synthetic drugs targeting mostly youngsters; (vi) tailor-made trainings to ADSU Officers to better fight against drug scourge, and (vii) collaboration with other concerned agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the National Drug Secretariat and the Mauritius Revenue Authority for a concerted approach in the fight against drug trafficking. PRE-OWNED VEHICLES – REGISTRATION DUTIES – WAIVE OFF