Police officers from the National Coast Guard (NCG) of Grand-Gaube, accompanied by the Senior Forest Conservation Officer and a forest ranger, conducted a raid this Monday, July 25 on Amber Island. Near a place called Trou Anglais, they found an individual, who was cutting 3 sandalwood trees with a metal lopper.
When questioned, the man, Shivam Bissondoyal, 26 years old and resident of Creve Coeur, Montagne-Longue, admitted that he does not have any authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture to do so. The suspect was arrested on a provisional charge of illegal felling of sandalwood. The police are in the presence of information that several tree trunks left this island the day before.
It is following the information that elements of the NCG and two officials of wood and forest went to the île d’Ambre on board two boats. Arriving at a place called Trou Anglais, they surprised Shivam Bissondoyal, who was cutting sandalwood. Questioned as for his presence on this island, the thirty-year-old could not give explanations. He also confessed to not having any authorization to cut down these trees, which are protected species on this land belonging to the State.
A beat carried out on the police officers on this island discovered 13 other pieces of sandalwood trunk, which were cut down. They measure between two to six centimeters and thirty to one meter fifty long. The suspect was taken to the NCG station of Poudre d’Or before being delivered to the hands of the police of the regular force.
After spending a night in a cell at the Rivière du Rempart police station, Shivam Bissondoyal was brought before the Pamplemousses court on Tuesday morning, July 26. The suspect was kept in a police cell.
