(Seychelles News Agency) - Eight foreigners and two Seychellois citizens were arrested in Seychelles in the month of October for illicit drug importations, the police said in a recent statement.

According to the police, among the foreigners was a Nigerian national who has a Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP). The other foreign nationals are from Malawi, Guinee, Kenya, the Netherlands, the UK and three from Uganda.

The Dutch national has already been charged with importation of a controlled drug, and conspiracy to import and traffick a controlled drug by the Supreme Court.

The other cases are still in court while the police continue their investigation.

The suspects were arrested in seven separate cases and are currently on remand in police custody.

Most of them were apprehended at the Seychelles International Airport with the help of Customs and Immigration officers working with police officers from the organised crime unit.

The drug importers arrived in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, on Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways flights.

The police seized a total of 5.3 kilogrammes of cocaine and 900 grammes of cannabis resin through the arrests with most of the suspects sneaking the drugs in their luggage or hiding in their body.

The police said that in the case of the Nigerian who was in the country on GOP, 500 grammes of cocaine were found at his home.

Seychelles has a zero-tolerance policy towards trafficking and importation of illegal drugs. If found guilty, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.