Drug importation and human trafficking case |02 July 2022

All 14 accused to remain in custody

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 all been remanded for a further fourteen days in custody and they will reappear in court on July 15, 2022.

The Soopramanien brothers along with Bastienne and the eleven Iranians who have pleaded not guilty to all charges laid against them are set to start trial in August 2022 and in September 2022 but in the meantime they have to appear in court every fourteen days until then. Their trial dates have been set for August 3, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and September 20, 21, 27 and 28.

It is to be noted that the two brothers and Batienne were arrested in November 2021, along with two other persons who have been dismissed in the case, after two leisure boats were intercepted through a joint operation involving law enforcement and military agencies, allegedly in the act of committing drug-trafficking activities.

They were later found to be linked with the Iranian nationals – Phir Baksh Balochi, Qadir Baksh, Mohammad Baksh, Mohammad Bomarie, Sha Dosth, Avid Boluzai, Abdul Qadi-Khani Nahad, Nasir Khaki-Nahad, Noor Baksh Boluzai, Mohammed Khaki-Nahad and Sameer Bazdar – all aged between 19 and 50, who had Seychellois Andy Bistoquet as captive as drug guarantee onboard their dhow.

Bistoquet was reported missing since November 7, 2021 and was later found onboard an Iranian dhow outside our exclusive economic zone.

Patrick Joubert