I read an article recently in l'express about ?Le manque de controôe de nos côtes fait surface? . I would like to contribute my views thereto. There is indeed a quasi-total lack of control over the movements of yachts and leisure boats within our waters. In addition to the two Bodies mentioned in the article namely the National Coast Guard and the Mauritius Ports Authority supposed to exercise such control, there is also the Customs Department who is called upon to keep a constant watch on the in's and out's of all vessels . That is, these three authorities are empowered by Law to do so ... on paper. Whether they actually do it in practice, is another matter !

This lack of control , the unbelievable ease with which anybody can illegally enter and/or leave our territory, have already been evoked in this very Paper (l?express 01/08/06 and l?express 19/09/06 . For all response, we had the dubious honour of having enlarged photocopies of both articles displayed for a whole month on the notice boards at IKS Building . Point final ! Q.E.D.

Meanwhile .....

-- If we believe in the efficacy of the control measures at the airport , then , some 90% of the stock of dangerous drugs found presently within Mauritius have found their way-in through our seas .

? Dangerous criminals and other fugitives are repeating the ?exploits? of Piou Piou , La-tête and Sabapathee and leaving our territory without the least bit of trouble from Authorities concerned.

-- God knows how many terrorists and other subversive elements, with agendas contrary to our national interests, have landed on our shores and departed without the Authorities being any the wiser.

? Maybe the Immigration Officers can spare some time from their chasing of Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis who have overstayed their visa-periods and/or are working illegally here and devote it to assess how many clandestine landings/departures have been effected from and by leisure crafts and yatchs.

Maybe the Drug Unit and other Preventive Branch can tell us how many controls they have effected on vessels at Grand Bay and Riviere Noire and on vessels entering and leaving other inlets and coves around the Island during the last twelve months.

Maybe the coast guards can inform us how many vessels, outside our harbour, they have actually boarded and searched during the same period, and what have been the outcomes.

Minister Valayden's statement that our country is not immune from terrorist-attacks -- though , it is nothing more than an echo of our own apprehension expressed two years back -- must be taken very seriously. Our island , its dependencies and its territorial zone , because considered as strategic by the world super-powers, are already the convoitise of these same super-powers . And , because of this undesired importance bestowed on us , we can easily become the target of international terrorists bent on inflicting as much as possible harms on these powers' interests. It is imperative for our national security that utmost vigilance be exercised not only at the port and at the airport , but also all around the island. Government must see to it that petty jealousies over prerogatives between the control-departments be quashed, and an unified agency comprising of coast guards, customs and Police be set up to control immigration and transborder in and outs .

Drugs smuggling , arms smuggling and terrorism are linked. Drug-money derived from the Afghan poppies-fields is part-funding the al-Quaida and its purchase of deadly weapons. And drug-trafficking in Mauritius form part of this vicious ring.

Jagdish SEEBARUTH

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