Africa-Press – Mauritius. Government remains firmly committed to pursue its relentless fight against drug trafficking by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and reinforcing enforcement agencies, stated the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, today, at the handing-over ceremony of a ‘Ship in a Box’ simulator facility (VBS3), held at Quay E in Port Louis.
The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy; the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, United States (US) Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Affairs, Mr Tobin Bradley; the US Ambassador to Mauritius, Mr Henry V.
Jardine; the Head of the Indian Ocean West Programme of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr David O’Connell; and the Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), Mr Sudhamo Lal, were also present at the handing-over ceremony which is an initiative of the MRA in collaboration with the UNODC and the US Embassy
The ‘Ship in a Box’ simulator has been constructed by the UNODC to the tune of USD 200,000 funded by the US State Department of the INL. The facility has been constructed using stacked cargo containers with internal modifications to simulate the interior of a ship, allowing for instruction on searching larger vessels without substantial costs and safety issues associated with occupying an actual ship for training purposes.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth underscored that the high-end simulator will be an immensely valuable asset for MRA officers and other regional enforcement agencies.
It will allow them to have accurate practice with regard to operations involving visiting, boarding, searching of vessels and seizure of illicit drugs, he said. He further stressed on the need for quality capacity building in combatting illicit trafficking of drugs and narcotics.
The Prime Minister recalled that the construction of a ‘Ship in a Box’ simulator facility was first discussed during the second Ministerial Conference of Maritime Security and the 22nd Plenary session of the Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia.
He commended the UNODC for their support provided to Mauritius and to other countries in the region namely Sri Lanka, Kenya and Seychelles while adding that such an innovative training tool will contribute in reinforcing Mauritius’s capabilities in its combat against drug trafficking.
Government, he further stated, will spare no efforts in providing the MRA, the Mauritius Police Force, and enforcement agencies with the latest tools and expertise to be better equipped to deliver their tasks efficiently against drug trafficking.
He indicated that the MRA has been provided with necessary funding to acquire loans for a Mobile Scan Van to screen consignments at freight stations and cruise jetty; Fast Interceptor Boats and rigid Hull Interceptor Boats to facilitate intervention and enhance border surveillance; Sniffer Dogs to improve drug detection; a new Mobile Container Scanner; and a whole-body scanner at the SSR international airport.
Government, he affirmed, will continue to invest in reinforcing the security of the port area. To this end, the Head of Government indicated that a modern Port Surveillance Command Centre enabling precise and real time monitoring of strategic locations in and around the Port Louis harbor was also inaugurated in February this year.
Moreover, he underlined that the MRA is continuously upgrading the skills of its existing workforce and its new staff adding that the MRA recruited around 1, 777 new custom officers during the past three years.
“Enhanced collaboration and increased synergy among enforcement agencies, regional and international partners is key in achieving our shared objective against drug trafficking”, emphasised the Prime Minister.
For his part, Mr Bradley stated that Mauritius plays an important role in leading efforts to increase maritime security in the Indian Ocean while highlighting that the INL provides support to these efforts by funding and coordinating trainings.
The ‘Ship in a Box’ simulator facility will help assist Mauritius and its international partners in improving their skills as regards security and stability of the ports and waters, he said.
As for Mr Jardine, he reiterated the support of the US Embassy to the Government of Mauritius in the fight against drug trafficking, illegal fishing, and other crimes that undermine the potential of the Indian Ocean region.
Mr O’Connell, for his part, underlined that advancing regional maritime security in the region is a top priority for the US Embassy. ‘We are working on building the capacity of regional institutions such as the Indian Ocean Commission Regional Maritime Fusion Information Center and the Regional Coordination Operations Center,’ he added.
In his address, Mr Sudhamo Lal remarked that the MRA is fully committed to combat transnational organised crimes which threaten national security and hinder the social, economic, political and cultural development of society. The facility, he said, responds to the growing need for law enforcement agencies to constantly evolve and adopt innovate approaches.
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