Rivière-Noire: chase to catch a sandalwood thief

The hunt for sandalwood thieves across the island continues. On Thursday, May 30, bloodhounds assigned to the Rivière-Noire police station were on patrol in the village when they spotted an off-roader parked on a double yellow line. When approaching the vehicle for a routine check, the driver ignored police orders and sped off in the direction of Petite-Rivière-Noire.

A chase then begins in the village where finally, near La Balise Marina, the police manage to intercept the suspect vehicle. The driver identifies himself as a resident of Crève-Cœur, located in the north of the island. The police discovered several tools in the vehicle. When questioned, the driver admitted that his presence in the west of the island was with the aim of stealing sandalwood. “Misie, mo ti pou servi sa bann zouti-la pou kokin dibwa sandal, donn-mwa enn sans,” he pleaded.

He was placed under arrest and spent the night from Thursday to Friday behind bars. On Friday May 31, he was provisionally charged with attempted theft before the Bambous court.

Separately, in the capital, on Friday, an attendant assigned to the Signal Mountain RCA School alerted the Line Barracks police to the theft of a three-meter sandalwood tree trunk from the backyard of the 'educational establishment. The thief is actively sought by the Criminal Investigation Division of Port-Louis South.