A vast police operation has been set up throughout the country since Thursday following a burglary perpetrated at the home of a 57-year-old agronomist in Beau-Champ, Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est (GRSE). This robbery was committed between 12:00 and 18:15 on Thursday, May 18 and 5 guns with sights, bottles of alcoholic beverages and various items, all worth Rs 781,000, were taken. This exercise allowed in the afternoon of Friday May 20 to apprehend the alleged perpetrator of this theft and to recover 3 of the 5 guns. The suspect Christopher Henriette, 36 years old and resident of Cité Bois-Marchand, Terre-Rouge, was apprehended on the Coastal Road of Pomponette.
He then incriminated Nicolin Louis Toussaint, 38 years old and resident of Cité Hibiscus, Flacq, to whom he said he had entrusted 2 of the 5 guns. Nicolin Toussaint was arrested during a raid at his home. He denied any involvement in the case. During the police search of his home, they found a certain amount of cannabis, but he denied any knowledge of the drug.
In the wake of the police operations concerning this case of firearms theft in Beau-Champ, the Special Intelligence Cell of the Special Supporting Unit, based on certain information, went to the Coastal Road of Pomponette in the company of the elements of the Field Intelligence Office of the South Division. It was around 6:45 pm on Friday, May 20, that the driver of a black Pulsar motorcycle, which was driving in the direction of Bel Ombre, was told to stop his motorcycle but it accelerated before continuing its route. The motorcycle, which had a woman as a passenger, was chased.
The motorcycle had arrived near the beach of Sainte Marie, when the driver skidded to the asphalt with his passenger. As the police approached, he pulled out a gun and began to threaten them, “mo fisie twa…”. Christopher Henriette was ordered to drop his weapon, but he did not. One of the police officers present had no choice but to fire two shots in his direction and it was at this point that he dropped the gun. He was given first aid before being transported to the Souillac hospital. He was then transferred to the Jawaharlall Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle. As for the passenger, she was identified as a resident of the City of Gods in Riambel.
The pistol, with which Christopher Henriette threatened the police, was reported stolen from the home of a doctor in Beau-Bassin. This theft was committed by breaking into a safe between 8:30 am and 3 pm on Friday, May 20.
Late in the evening, Inspector Appadoo of the Criminal Investigation Division of Bel-Air-Rivière-Sèche came to take the two suspects and the motorcycle as evidence. Christopher Henriette was taken to his home in Cité Bois-Marchand for a search, but no incriminating items were found.
During his interrogation, he confessed to being the author of this burglary at the home of this agronomist from Beau-Champ. Five of the three stolen rifles, he said he had hidden in a cane field in Beau-Champ. He led these police officers to this place where these weapons and ammunition were found. He said he entrusted the other two guns to Nicolin Toussaint. A raid was made at the home of this man in Cité Hibiscus, Flacq but no firearms were found. However, during the search, the police found a certain amount of cannabis but he told the investigators that he does not know the source of this drug.
After telling the police where he had hidden the three guns and the ammunition, Christopher Henriette was later admitted to hospital. As for the woman who was with him on the motorcycle in Pomponette, she was released.
Nicolin Toussaint was detained at the Belle-Mare police station during the night of Friday, May 20. This Saturday morning, May 21, he was brought before the Bail and Remand Court in Port-Louis on a provisional charge of drug possession.
