Hevalen Moothooveeren, 35, employed as a General worker at the Ministry of Agriculture, and his concubine Oumavadee Pariadhaven were arrested on the afternoon of Thursday July 13 on a charge of human trafficking. The two suspects were brought before the Curepipe court on a provisional charge on the morning of Friday July 14. A hotel housekeeper living in the village of Chamouny was questioned about his presence there. He told police that he had paid a sum of Rs 2000 to have sexual relations with a resident of Triolet.
Following a complaint, a team of police officers from the Central Division’s Divisional Supporting Unit (DSU) arrived at Hevalen Moothooveeren’s home in Eau Coulée at around 3.30pm on the afternoon of Thursday July 13. Sergeant Appasamy and his men arrived with a search warrant signed by the magistrate of the Curepipe court.
Hevalen Moothooveeren, who was standing in the dining room, was informed of the reason for the police presence at his home. The resident of Chamouny was sitting in the same place. A woman who lives in this house was standing in the corridor. The Triolet resident was sitting in a bedroom, and a 40-year-old woman from the Forest-Side area was the person who opened the door.
These people were interviewed in turn. The Triolet resident had to confide to these police officers that she was a victim of human trafficking by Hevalen Moothoveeren to engage in prostitution. The head of the household, who works in a hotel, confirmed to the police that he had already paid Hevalen Moothooveeren the sum of Rs 2,000 to have sexual relations with this Triolet resident.
Hevalen Moothooveeren remained silent when confronted with the allegations made against him. His concubine Oumavadee Pariadhaven declared, “missie… finn donn mwa Rs 2000 pou li gagn relasyon avek miss…”. Like her partner, she was confronted with the offence of human trafficking contrary to section 11 (2) (b) and 14 (1) of the combatting of trafficking in persons act 2/2009. At that precise moment, she replied, “missie lavi dir, li difisil pou zouenn le deboutt”.
The Forest-Side resident told the police, “mo tial guett mo bann zoizo”. In the bedroom where the Triolet resident was sitting, the DSU officers found three condoms, a small sachet of lubricating cream and a pair of panties, including a thong. In Hevalen Moothooveeren’s bedroom, the officers found a box containing three condoms, another sealed box of condoms, ten condoms in a plastic bag, four sex toys and a sum of Rs 25,350, suspected to have come from the sale of human trafficking.
They were all taken to the Curepipe police station. Hevalen Moothooveeren and his concubine Oumavadee Pariadhaven were informed of their arrests. The other two women and the Chamouny resident were allowed to leave after giving their statements.
