Seychelles Case Law

R v Mohammad Rafiei Pangand & Anor (CR 44 of 2024)

R v Mohammad Rafiei Pangand & Anor (CR 44 of 2024) [2025] SCSC 42 (28 February 2025)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CR 44 of 2024

The court imposed substantial concurrent custodial sentences for each count of importation of controlled drugs, taking into account the early guilty plea, absence of prior convictions, acceptance of responsibility, and family circumstances as mitigating factors, but also emphasizing the commercial scale and seriousness of the offences, the need for deterrence, and the aggravated nature due to the drugs' potential impact on society.

Source excerpt

• Importation of controlled drugs
• Sentencing
• Mitigating factors
• Guilty plea

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Shabani v R (SCA CR 03/2024)

Shabani v R (SCA CR 03/2024) [2024] ((Arising in CO 46/2022) (19 August 2024)) [2024] SCCA 20 (19 August 2024)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

(Arising in CO 46/2022) (19 August 2024)

The Court of Appeal of Seychelles dismissed a drug-importation sentence appeal and increased the sentence from 12 to 18 years, finding major aggravating factors.

• Sentencing
• Importation of controlled drugs
• Aggravating and mitigating factors
• Remission of sentence
• Criminal-sentencing
• Drug-importation

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R v Randy Florine (CR 15 of 2024)

R v Randy Florine (CR 15 of 2024) [2024] SCSC 98 (11 June 2024)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CR 15 of 2024

After a guilty plea to drug possession and related offences, the court imposed a suspended prison term and fines, citing mitigation, proportionality, and deterrence.

• Possession of controlled drugs
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Use of premises for drug use
• Sentencing
• Mitigation
• Drug-offences

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R v Chiray & Ors (CR 2 of 2024)

R v Chiray & Ors (CR 2 of 2024) [2024] SCSC 83 (29 May 2024)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CR 2 of 2024

The Seychelles Supreme Court sentenced three accused to 25 years each on eight drug counts after guilty pleas, citing commercial importation and organised group involvement.

• Importation of controlled drugs
• Conspiracy
• Sentencing
• Aggravating and mitigating factors
• Drug-offences
• Importation-of-controlled-drugs

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R v Diallo (CO 82 of 2023)

R v Diallo (CO 82 of 2023) [2024] SCSC 20 (19 March 2024)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CO 82 of 2023

Sentencing after a guilty plea for importing 452 grams of cocaine. The Supreme Court imposed 7 years’ imprisonment, with remand time deducted and remission allowed.

• Importation of controlled drugs
• Sentencing
• Mitigation
• Remission
• Aggravating and mitigating factors
• Drug-offences

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R v Victor (CR 49 of 2022)

R v Victor (CR 49 of 2022) [2024] SCSC 13 (9 February 2024)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CR 49 of 2022

The Seychelles Supreme Court sentenced a first-time offender who pleaded guilty to possessing 1,543.6 grams of cannabis resin, imposing a suspended term and fine.

• Possession of controlled drugs
• Sentencing
• Mitigation
• Drug dependency
• Criminal-sentencing
• Drug-possession

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R v Faiz Mubarak and Ors (489)

R v Faiz Mubarak and Ors (489) [2023] SCSC 489 (5 July 2023)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

489

The Supreme Court sentenced three conviction-admitting offenders for drug trafficking-related offences, treating the importation as aggravated because of commercial intent and group involvement.

• Trafficking in controlled drugs
• Aiding and abetting
• Sentencing principles
• Mitigation and aggravation
• Drug-trafficking
• Sentencing

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R v Dos Anjos (CO 33 of 2023)

R v Dos Anjos (CO 33 of 2023) [2023] SCSC 370 (25 May 2023)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CO 33 of 2023

On a guilty plea for importing cocaine, the Seychelles Supreme Court sentenced Amanda Ravara Dos Anjos to 8 years’ imprisonment, stressing deterrence and the large quantity involved.

• Importation of controlled drugs
• Sentencing
• Mitigation
• Drug trafficking
• Drug-trafficking
• Guilty-plea

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R v Uzor & Anor (CR 32 of 2019)

R v Uzor & Anor (CR 32 of 2019) [2023] SCSC 171 (6 March 2023)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CR 32 of 2019

The court found that there was sufficient evidence of an agreement between the accused and a third party to import heroin into Seychelles, satisfying the elements of conspiracy under section 16(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The inclusion of additional statutory provisions in the charge was unnecessary but did not prejudice the accused. The use of a decoy in the controlled delivery was lawful. However, the charge of trafficking was duplicitous due to the inclusion of incompatible presumptions and was dismissed. The alternative conspiracy to traffic charge was also dismissed for lack of suffic…

Source excerpt

• Conspiracy
• Trafficking in controlled drugs
• Formulation of charges
• Use of decoy in controlled delivery
• Duplicity of charges

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Republic vs Pierre Louis & Anor (CO 35 of 2022)

Republic vs Pierre Louis & Anor (CO 35 of 2022) [2021] SCSC 1102 (19 October 2021)

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

CO 35 of 2022

Despite strong mitigating factors, the seriousness of the offence and the quantity of heroin (60.18 grams) warranted a custodial sentence. The court imposed 9 months imprisonment, finding a non-custodial sentence inappropriate given the high quantity and seriousness, even in the absence of aggravating factors.

Source excerpt

• Possession of controlled drugs
• Sentencing
• Mitigating factors
• Plea bargaining

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