“Missie mo dakor ki ce mo mem ki finn fer sa case la, mo abit dan enno loto dan Cité La Cure mem, fisil ki monn kokin, monn gard li dan box loto là.” This is the confession of Jean Mathieu Bryan Mars, 27 years old, to the officers of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Metropolitan Police of the North Division on Monday morning, January 30. The suspect was arrested for the theft of a Remington rifle from a resident of Nabil Lane, Cité La Cure, who has been in England for a fortnight. The gun was found on Monday morning in the boot of a Mercedes Benz car which is not in working order in Cité La Cure. Proceedings have been initiated to have the owner’s firearms licence revoked for negligence.
On Sunday 26 January, a 62-year-old resident of Route de Pamplemousses, St. Croix, reported the theft of a Remington .22 calibre rifle from the Abercrombie Police Station, St. Croix. The rifle, he said, was stolen between Thursday, January 26 and Sunday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m. from his son-in-law’s home in Nabil Lane, Cité La Cure. Using a false key, the thief broke into the house and subsequently took the gun, which was in an unlocked aluminium cupboard.
On the basis of certain information, a team from the Divisional Crime Intelligence Unit (DCIU), led by Inspector Louise, and the CID, led by Sergeant Subtatty, went to Rue Jean XXIII, Cité La Cure. After a surveillance, these officers had to get hold of Jean Mathieu Bryan Mars. When questioned about the theft of the rifle, the suspect was quick to confess his guilt in the matter. He then led the police to Rue Bernardin de Saint Pierre in Cité La Cure. He then removed the firearm, which was in its holster in the trunk of a garnet-coloured Mercedes Benz car. Without a declaration from the National Transport Authority and without wheels, this vehicle was parked there.
The firearm was sent to the ballistics section of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Reduit for analysis. The gun will be confiscated from its owner for negligence as he should have returned the gun to the armoury at the Central Barracks for safe keeping during his absence.
The owner of this firearm is scheduled to return home on Monday 20 February. He is the holder of a firearms licence that was renewed on 01 January 2023 for a validity period of 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023. The ammunition for this rifle is kept in a safe in a house in Plaine-Verte where he used to live.
