Mauritius Police Force Police Mauricienne (French) | |
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Agency overview | |
Formed | 1 August, 1767 |
Annual budget | ₨ 10.3 billion |
Jurisdictional structure | |
National agency | Mauritius |
Operations jurisdiction | Mauritius |
Size | 2,040 km2 |
Constituting instrument |
|
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Line Barracks, Port Louis |
Sworn members | 12,475 (2013) [1] |
Elected officer responsible | |
Agency executive |
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Divisions | 8
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Website | |
police.govmu.org |
The Mauritius Police Force (MPF) is the national law enforcement agency of Mauritius. The MPF carries out police, security, and military functions on Mauritius, with about 12,500 police officers under the command of the Commissioner of Police. The MPF is part of the Home Affairs Division, which operates under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office. [1] [2]
Military advisers from India and the United Kingdom work with the Special Mobile Force, the National Coast Guard, and the Police Helicopter Squadron, and Mauritian police officers are trained in India, the United Kingdom, and France. India and the United States provide training to National Coast Guard officers in such fields as seamanship and maritime law enforcement.
The Anti Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) is the narcotics and anti-smuggling unit of the MPF. It ensures the legal repression of drugs proliferation in Mauritius and the Outer Islands. [3]
The Anti Robbery Squad (ARS) was a dedicated unit of the MPF that combats robbery crimes.
In 2015, then-Commissioner of Police (CP) Mario Nobin created the ARS to replace the defunct Rottweilers SSU. CP Nobin appointed Inspector Seewoo to head the ARS in 2017. But Seewoo's promotion to Chief Inspector raised concerns amongst his colleagues.[ why? ] By 2020 the new commissioner of police Servansingh transferred Seewoo to Pointe-aux-Cannonniers before dismantling the ARS. [4] [5] [6]
The National Coast Guard (NCG) is the coast guard of Mauritius. It was established in 1988 and consists of No. 1 Patrol Vessel Squadron and the Maritime Air Squadron. [7]
The NCG has been modernising its fleet introducing a Kora-class Offshore Patrol Vessel CGS Barracuda in 2015, two Sarojini Naidu-class patrol vessels CGS Victory in 2016 and CGS Valiant in 2017 and ten 14.5m GSL Fast Interceptor Boats in 2016. [8] [9] [10]
The Maritime Air Squadron (MAS) was established in 1990 and operates a fixed wing fleet of three HAL Dornier 228 and one Britten-Norman Defender BN-2T for search-and-rescue missions and surveillance of territorial waters. [11] The Defender entered service in 1992, the first Dornier 228 entered service in 1990, the second in 2004 and third in 2016. [11] The Do 288 can be fitted with 7.62mm gun pods. [12]
The NCG has a maritime tactical unit established in 2010 the Commando Unit or Commandos Special Force. [13] [14] The Commando Unit trains with the Indian Navy's MARCOS and with the French Army 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (2e RPIMa), based in Réunion as part of FAZSOI. [15] [16]
Ship | Origin | Type | In service | Class | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CGS Barracuda | India | Patrol boat | 1 | Kora-class corvette | |
CGS Valiant | Patrol boat | 2 | Sarojini Naidu-class patrol vessel | ||
CGS Victory | |||||
CGS Guardian | Patrol boat | 1 | Seaward-class patrol vessel | ||
CGS Observer | 1 | AMPL (P-2000)-class interceptor boat |
In March 1990 one radar equipped HAL Dornier 228 was ordered from India to form a maritime surveillance element by July 1991. This aircraft was reinforced in 1992 by a single twin turbo prop BN-2T Maritime Defender for coastal patrol work. A second HAL Dornier 228 was added to the fleet in 2004 and a third in 2016. [17] [18] [19]
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maritime Patrol | |||||
Dornier 228 | India Germany | maritime patrol | 3 [20] | ||
BN-2T Defender | United Kingdom | maritime patrol | 1 [21] |
The National Security Service (NSS) is responsible for the national security of Mauritius. It was formerly known as the National Intelligence Unit (NIU) and State Security Service (SSS). [22] During British rule, it was known as Special Branch. [23]
The Police Helicopter Squadron (PHS) is the police aviation unit of the MPF. Established in 1974, its main roles are search and rescue and casualty evacuation both inland and at sea; combatting gandia cultivation; traffic patrol and escort of convoys; and VIP transport. [24] [25]
The helicopter fleet consists of four HAL Chetak, one Eurocopter Fennec AS555 and two HAL Dhruv. [24] [26] The Dhruv helicopter entered service in 2009 [27] followed by the MK.3 variant in 2023. [28] Two refurbished Chetak helicopters were gifted by India in 2016. [9] [29]
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helicopter | |||||
HAL Dhruv | India | utility | MK.1 and MK.3 | 2 [24] [30] | |
HAL Chetak | India | SAR / utility | SA316B | 4 [24] | |
AS355 | France | utility | AS355 SN | 1 [24] [21] |
Mauritius does not have a standing army; the Special Mobile Force (SMF) is a paramilitary force that fills that role. It was established in 1960 following the withdrawal of two companies of the British East African land forces. [31] [32] The SMF recruited World War II veterans and select police officers and was commanded by British commanders until 1978. [31]
The 1,500-member Special Mobile Force (SMF) and the 500-member National Coast Guard are the only two paramilitary units in Mauritius. Both units are composed of police officers on lengthy rotations to those services. [17] [18] [19]
The SMF is a motorized infantry battalion with five companies, an engineering squadron, and a mobile wing comprising two squadrons equipped with armored vehicles. [31] The SMF training is based on conventional military tactics focused on internal security. [31] It engages extensively in civic works projects.
The SMF has a police tactical unit established in 1979, the Groupement d’Intervention de la Police Mauricienne (GIPM) (English: Mauritian Police Intervention Group). [33] The GIPM trains with the French National Gendarmerie's Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) and the French Army 2e RPIMa. [34] [16]
The Special Support Unit (SSU) is the riot police unit of the MPF. It was established in 1986. [35] The SSU consists of five operational units and a training wing. [35]
The Police Band is the official musical group of the MPF. It can operate as a military band, a marching band, a string orchestra, and a contemporary pop group. [36] One of its alumni was Joseph Philippe Gentil, a composer best known for composing Motherland , the national anthem of Mauritius. [37] On Independence Day 1968, a national newspaper mistakenly published the name and photograph of Philippe Oh San (the Police Band's maestro at the time) as the anthem's composer, with the remaining newspapers being reprinted with the correction. [38]
Mauritius Police Ranks and Insignia | ||||||||||||
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Rank | Commissioner | Deputy Commissioner | Assistant Commissioner | Superintendent | Assistant Superintendent | Deputy Assistant Superintendent | Chief Inspector | Inspector | Cadet Officer | Sergeant | Corporal | Constable |
Epaulette Insignia |
After the creation of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Army was entrusted with the defence of Suriname, while the defence of the Netherlands Antilles was the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The army set up a separate Netherlands Armed Forces in Suriname. Upon independence in 1975, this force was turned into the Surinamese Armed Forces. On February 25, 1980, a group of 15 non-commissioned officers and one junior officer, under the leadership of sergeant major Dési Bouterse, staged a coup d'état and overthrew the Government. Subsequently, the SKM was rebranded as the National Army.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. HAL began aircraft manufacturing as early as 1942 with licensed production of Harlow PC-5, Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Vultee A-31 Vengeance for the Indian Air Force. HAL currently has 11 dedicated Research and development (R&D) centres and 21 manufacturing divisions under 4 production units spread across India. HAL is managed by a board of directors appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. HAL is currently involved in designing and manufacturing of fighter jets, helicopters, jet engine and marine gas turbine engine, avionics, software development, spares supply, overhauling and upgrading of Indian military aircraft.
The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by French aircraft company Sud Aviation. During its production life, it proved to be a relatively popular rotorcraft; including multiple licensed manufacturers, more than 2,000 units were built.
The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. The helicopter first flew in 1992; its development was prolonged due to multiple factors including the Indian Army's requirement for design changes, budget restrictions, and sanctions placed on India following the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. The name comes from a Sanskrit origin word dhruv which means unshakeable or firm.
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The Maldivian Coast Guard is the naval or maritime arm of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Because the Maldives does not have a navy, the MNDF Coast Guard functions as the armed maritime force of the nation with a charter to contribute to national defence and by and large to respond to issues related to the maritime security of the nation. Therefore, the Coast Guard is documented as the custodian of the Maldives Maritime Domain. Maritime security is a constituent ingredient of the national security in a maritime nation such as the Maldives and its significance is best understood when one perceives the island or the archipelagic nature of the country.
The Special Mobile Force is a paramilitary unit of Mauritius that ensures the country's internal and external security. As Mauritius has no dedicated military, the SMF forms part of the Mauritius Police Force, with its personnel on long-term rotation from the police force.
The Army Aviation Corps (AAC) is the youngest arm of the Indian Army, being formally designated on 1 November 1986. The Army Aviation Corps units are designated as Squadrons. Each squadron generally consists of two Flights. Reconnaissance (Recce) and Observation flights might be part of squadrons or operate independently. The latter do not have a parent squadron and are designated by an (I) in their name.
INS Garuda, is an Indian naval air station located in Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Commissioned on 11 May 1953, it is the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy.
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No. 111 Helicopter Unit is a Helicopter Unit and is equipped with HAL Dhruv MKIII and based at Bareilly Air Force Station.
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has generic name (help)This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2003 edition.)