A policeman of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (Adsu) of the southern division presented himself as a customer to obtain a ten-pack of Pregabalin tablets of 150 mg for the sum of Rs 3200 in a pharmacy in Curepipe. As soon as the transaction was completed, this policeman declared his identity. The seller, Fatimah Dinally, a 35 year old Vacoasian woman was arrested shortly after. The owner of this pharmacy, Abdool Motalib Sayfoo, 74 years old, was arrested after being found in possession of Rs 32 000. This money is suspected to come from the sale of these tablets classified as psychotropic drugs. A raid made at the home of this septuagenarian allowed to discover a significant quantity of tablets which are suspected to be dangerous drugs.
It was around 10 am on Wednesday, October 20 that the Adsu team led by Inspector Harry Appasamy, under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent of Police, Rajendranath Jhurry landed at the Westbury Pharmacy in Hillcrest Building Mall, Curepipe. This was after hours of surveillance, following information that a traffic of psychotropic drugs was taking place there. A police officer was the first to come to the counter to get a 150 mg Pragabalin tablet. As soon as the saleswoman served the tablet, this customer declared his real identity as a police officer.
Accompanied by a government pharmacist and armed with a search warrant, a search was made in this pharmacy by the police officers of Adsu of the southern division. This exercise, which took place in the presence of the Westbury pharmacist, Coudoosia Dookhit, a 59-year-old Curepipian, revealed that in the register, the stock of Pregabalin 75 mg was 600 tablets, whereas there were 720 tablets available. A raid on the owner’s home resulted in the seizure of 240 tablets suspected of being dangerous drugs.
The saleswoman and the owner of this pharmacy spent the night in a police cell at the police station of Rivière des Anguilles. The pharmacist, Coudoosia Dookhit was released on parole after his interrogation. This Thursday, October 21, all three were brought before the court of Curepipe. The owner and the saleswoman, answer to a provisional accusation of drug trafficking, even the possession of dangerous drugs for sale. Fatimah Dinally was later released. Coudoosia Dookhit is provisionally charged with failing to keep register to date. Since the police did not object to his release, he posted bail.
