US embassy in Seychelles partners with experts to train with Seychelles police officers   |13 March 2025

Mr Loufti

A group of Seychelles Police officers yesterday received certificates upon completion of a specialised training led by the U.S. embassy in Seychelles and coordinated by the country’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre, its Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The series of training in partnership with the Seychelles Police Force (SPF) was held from March 3- 6 and March 10-13, 2025.

From March 3-6, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre (FLETC) instructors conducted training in digital forensics for 17 officers from five units of the Seychelles Police Force (SPF), namely the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, the Organised Crime Unit, the Criminal Investigation Division, the Family Squad Unit, and the Digital Forensic Team. This training focused on the use of digital tools to conduct forensic analysis of electronic devices for evidence collection.

From March 10-13, NCIS and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) instructors introduced 30 SPF officers to techniques for post-blast investigations that can determine the cause of explosions.

In a press release, the U.S. embassy said the objective of these workshops was to build the capacity of its Seychellois partners to conduct investigations that mutually benefit the United States and Seychelles and promote public safety and the two countries' security.

It added that this request for additional training in Seychelles this year builds on a training programme conducted in November 2024 by the NCIS Transnational Crimes Unit (TCU) in collaboration with the SPF, facilitated by the U.S. embassy's Office of Security Cooperation. The workshops covered digital forensics and post-blast investigations.

Speaking at the certificate presentation ceremony held at the Seychelles Coast Guard base, Perseverance, U.S. embassy chargé d’affaires, Adham Loutfi, stated, “The United States remains a steadfast partner to Seychelles in addressing transnational crime, strengthening law enforcement cooperation, and advancing mutual security interests. We look forward to continued collaboration in future training programmes and initiatives that support our shared goals.”

Seychelles Police Commissioner, Ted Barbe, described the recent training as “a remarkable journey” that strengthened the resolve of the force to enhance public safety and security.

“The insights and knowledge shared among the participants and ATF experts have been enlightening and empowering,” he said, emphasising the value of the digital forensics and post-blast investigation sessions.

Commissioner Barbe urged continued collaboration, stating: “Our mission to protect our communities extends beyond our shores – it calls for unity with global partners.” He encouraged officers to stay proactive and maintain ties with ATF and NCIS experts. “Together we can build a safer and more prosperous future for all.”

In an interview with the local media, ATF instructor Gary Malone, detailed the profound impact of the recent training on the Seychelles Police Force. Addressing the benefits, he explained that the programme provided significant skills to empower officers, boosting their confidence at explosion scenes and enabling them to collect evidence effectively to determine causes and catch perpetrators of criminal acts.

When asked about the officers’ capabilities post-training, Mr Malone expressed immense pride. “I was so proud of them because we threw a lot of extremely technical information and high-level explosive ideas at them, and they tackled everything with flying colours.”

He elaborated that the officers mastered complex concepts and demonstrated exceptional competence, leaving him confident in their ability to handle real-world incidents. On the training activities, he described a blend of theory and practice, starting with lessons on explosive theory and blast effects, followed by hands-on evaluations where officers handled device components.

Seychelles’ Inspector Medeline Labonte was taking part in such a training for the first time and felt it would be very beneficial in the event the country faces such an incident. “Our intervention would either prevent or minimise the impact of the explosion,” shared Inspector Labonte.

This was echoed by Inspector William Magnan. “We know that we can work as a team to make it a success. When we do our investigations, such as the post blast ones, it will not be one individual who will be able to decipher what happened, but rather, the team as a whole,” he stated.

When asked if this would assist in the December 7, 2023 explosion at the CCCL quarry in Petit Paris, Inspector Magnan said the team was ready to fully step in and perform at a higher level, should it ever happen again.

Sunny Esparon/Press release from the U.S. embassy in Seychelles

Photos: Kurtrine Albert