This week Monday 30 individuals from different departments attended a day-long workshop held under the auspices of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (Resca) at the International Conference Centre. The aim of this workshop was to sensitized officials in management of the threats that small arms and light weapons (SALW) pose.
Chief Supt Quatre heads the local Resca focal point team which came into existence last year. In his address Chief Supt Quatre stated that the customs officials try to ensure that light weapons and arms are not illegally imported into the country. It is widely believed and accepted that very little to no weapons and arms are imported into the country through customs at the airport or port. Weapons such as guns and ammunitions that do get into the hands of local criminals are given to them by people in the forces who have access to weapons.
The weapons found at the residence of Mr. Radovan Krejcir last year, especially the guns, were given or most probably sold to him by a former officer in the SPDF it is alleged. Discotheque security guards with contact within the now defunct National Guards and SSU personnel working as minders at discotheques are known to take their guns with them when working at the nightclubs. There are speculations that guns from the army and other armed units have been hired out to criminals in the past to go on missions.
In our case here in Seychelles Chief Supt Quatre must concentrate on stopping people from within the arm forces from passing on dangerous weapons to criminals. He must get the local Resca to identify unsavoury characters within the arms forces with access to weapons to deny them this privilege which they are continuously abusing….