Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi
Encyclopedia
Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi (born on 14 June 1969, in Le Bardo
, Tunisia
) is an international fugitive
wanted by Singapore
government for drug trafficking.
Guiga was the marketing manager at Bobby Rubino's restaurant in Singapore. Central Narcotics Bureau
officers had Guiga under surveillance for two months and spotted him several times meeting suspected drug users outside pubs in popular nightspot areas, such as Mohamed Sultan. In the first-ever raid
of a cocaine
syndicate ring in Singapore in October 2004, which resulted in the arrest of 23 members including wealthy locals and high-profile expatriate
s, Guiga was claimed by the police to be the link man of the ring. He was charged with 16 charges including possessing 25.2 gram (0.888903845048821 oz) of cocaine and selling ecstasy
to Dutch businessman Petrus Van Wanrooij. Guiga's girlfriend Mariana Abdullah was charged with drug-related offence as well.
Guiga faced 24 years in jail and 20 strokes of the cane
under a plea bargain
arrangement he was considering. He failed to appear in court on February 23, 2005, when he was due to appear to give his plea over the charges. Judge F.G. Remedios issued a warrant for his arrest and said his bail fee of S$280,000 (US$170,000) had been forfeited. Since Guiga's passport had been confiscated as a bail condition, it is unclear how he managed to flee the country. Guiga was subsequently listed by Interpol
as a fugitive.
Le Bardo
Le Bardo is a Tunisian city west of Tunis. As of 2004, the population is 73,953.Built by the Hafsid dynasty in the 15th century, the name Bardo comes from the Spanish word "pardo" meaning a garden. Bardo became a residence of the Tunis court in the 18th century...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
) is an international fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
wanted by Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
government for drug trafficking.
Guiga was the marketing manager at Bobby Rubino's restaurant in Singapore. Central Narcotics Bureau
Central Narcotics Bureau
The Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore was established in 1971 as the primary drug enforcement agency entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating all matters pertaining to drug eradication...
officers had Guiga under surveillance for two months and spotted him several times meeting suspected drug users outside pubs in popular nightspot areas, such as Mohamed Sultan. In the first-ever raid
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
of a cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
syndicate ring in Singapore in October 2004, which resulted in the arrest of 23 members including wealthy locals and high-profile expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s, Guiga was claimed by the police to be the link man of the ring. He was charged with 16 charges including possessing 25.2 gram (0.888903845048821 oz) of cocaine and selling ecstasy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
to Dutch businessman Petrus Van Wanrooij. Guiga's girlfriend Mariana Abdullah was charged with drug-related offence as well.
Guiga faced 24 years in jail and 20 strokes of the cane
Caning in Singapore
Caning is a widely used form of legal corporal punishment in Singapore. It can be divided into several contexts: judicial, military, school, reformatory/prison, and domestic/private....
under a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
arrangement he was considering. He failed to appear in court on February 23, 2005, when he was due to appear to give his plea over the charges. Judge F.G. Remedios issued a warrant for his arrest and said his bail fee of S$280,000 (US$170,000) had been forfeited. Since Guiga's passport had been confiscated as a bail condition, it is unclear how he managed to flee the country. Guiga was subsequently listed by Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
as a fugitive.