(Seychelles News Agency) - A Seychellois national arrested in Madagascar in possession of nearly 500 grammes of heroin has been placed in preventive detention at Antanimora prison.

Steve Roucou, 26, was about to board an Air Seychelles flight at the Ivato airport on June 25 when he was arrested. The authorities said he had in his possession 500 grammes of heroin at the time he passed through security measures before his flight to return to Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. 

The NewsMada – a news agency of Madagascar -- reported that during his interrogation the suspect said he was a fisherman and had come to Madagascar for shopping and during his stay, he had been approached by a stranger who had offered him drugs.

NewsMada said that before the investigation of the Malagasy drug squad, Roucou had passed an examination at the central investigation services specialised in verification and control of papers. According to his travelling documents, this was his 4^th trip to Madagascar.

This is not the first arrest of a Seychellois for possession of drug in Madagascar. Another Seychellois -- Collin Roddy Volcere -- was arrested in possession of 280 grammes of heroin in November 2015. He was sentenced to six months in prison.