Human trafficking – Drug-trafficking and importation cases |19 March 2022

Further remand for the 14 accused

Brothers Fabio and Dario Soopramanien, along with Gerard Bastienne and 11 Iranian nationals involved in the cases of drug trafficking and importation, as well as human trafficking, have been remanded for 14 more days till the first of April as the first accused, Fabio Soopramamanien, was not present in court due to illness according to the officer present.

The Soopramanien brothers along with Gerard Bastienne and the 11 Iranian nationals will be jointly tried as one case, to proceed as one prosecution and one trial.

The Soopramanien brothers and Gerard Bastienne as well as the eleven Iranians will make their pleas related to the charges on the first of April.

Other than drug importation and trafficking-related offences, the Soopramanien brothers and Bastienne, along with the 11 Iranian nationals, have also been charged with various counts of human trafficking, including conspiracy to commit aggravate trafficking of a person, after agreeing to recruit, transport and transfer Andy Bistoquet from Seychelles to an Iranian dhow to then be taken to Iran to be a drug guarantee, without being informed the reason for his travel.

The charges against the two brothers and Gerard Bastienne as well as the 11 Iranians are of the same and similar in character therefore have been consolidated to be tried as one case.

France Bonte, the defence lawyer for the first and third accused, will stand in for the pleas on the first April in the absence of Clifford Andre defence lawyer for the second accused and the 11 Iranians.

Marla Simeon