This follows the announcement by President James Michel in his National Day address on Saturday, when he said he would go further to deal with a host of social problems, including trafficking and use of drugs, which a powerful committee yesterday affirmed were the root causes of the other ills like violent crimes, delinquency, antisocial behaviour, prostitution and child abuse, which Mr Michel named.

The President has asked Home Affairs, Environment and Transport Minister Joel Morgan to make up and chair the high-level Harm Reduction Programme committee which met yesterday and came up with the proposed measures which take effect immediately, and as soon as each can be implemented.

The committee is made up of ministers, attorney general Rony Govinden, police commissioner Ernest Quatre, senior doctors, lawyers, social workers and drug control officers, among others.

The new steps include imprisonment of convicted traffickers in an isolated jail where they will pose no risk of influencing other prisoners to join their evil trade, gain access to drugs or control trafficking from behind bars.

Those suffering from effects of drugs will also – on a voluntary basis – be housed beyond reach of the harmful substances which may be brought in by friends or relatives, while addicts convicted of crimes will be kept beyond reach of drugs.

This will be part of a rehabilitation programme due to begin as soon as possible, possibly on an outer island.

Among those present at the meeting yesterday was Glenny Savy, chief executive of the Islands Development Company, whose organisation is expected to play a bigger role with the distant imprisonment and rehabilitation of traffickers and victims of illegal drugs.

Measures to cut communication by prisoners with the outside world by telephone will also be stepped up by ensuring existing loopholes are sealed, Mr Morgan said.

He said there still are – though very few – smuggled mobile phones in the prison, but there are many Sim cards “which are easier to smuggle in”, which the convicted criminals use on the few phone sets sadly still available.

Efforts to better block phone signals at the prison will be stepped up.

Mr Morgan said the drug distribution set up is widespread and involves many people – some of whom are based overseas ¬– but strongly rejected the argument some people are known to advance that traffickers offer their couriers and sellers employment and a livelihood through their dirty gains.

He and Health Minister Dr Erna Athanasius counted just a few of the very bad effects drugs have on members of the society, saying the substances are killing our children and trafficking cannot be seen as a positive effort by any sane members of society.

The committee gave the shocking revelation of how young people are being lured into substance abuse, in some cases by traffickers who regrettable offer drugs to our young people free of charge, knowing once they get hopelessly addicted they will sadly become customers who will beg, steal or borrow money to buy their supplies.

Dr Athanasius said many young people are enticed by liars who say taking drugs is “cool”, while others want to experiment and in the process quickly get beyond the so-called “cool” effect into the perilous world of many transmissible diseases and conditions affecting the brain, heart and other organs, in many cases leading to death.

Social and Culture Development Minister Bernard Shamlaye stressed education efforts must be boosted, as all the committee members implored every member of our society to be part of the new effort to rid Seychelles of the growing menace that is responsible for so much harm, that can darken what should be a bright future.

In his address, Mr Michel said we are all for a country that is clean and that functions well, where discipline is the norm.

“We will not tolerate crime, theft, banditry etc in our country,” he said, adding the police catch criminals and arrest many criminals.

“But if the justice system remains cumbersome, slow and lethargic, we will continue to see a rise in crime in our country. It is the judiciary, and not the police, that judges and sentences criminals. Therefore, things have to be fixed, if we are to win the fight against crime.”