Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi
Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi | |
|---|---|
 Picture taken from Interpol website | |
| Born | 14 June 1969 Le Bardo, Tunisia |
| Occupation | Ex-marketing manager |
| Criminal status | At large |
| Criminal charge | 16 charges including possessing cocaine and selling ecstasy |
| Penalty | 24 years in jail and 20 strokes of the cane |
Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi[1] (born on 14 June 1969, in Le Bardo, Tunisia[2]) is an international fugitive wanted by the Singaporean government for drug trafficking.
Background
[edit]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.[3] 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 expatriates, Guiga was claimed by the police to be the link man of the ring.[4] He was charged with 16 charges including possessing 25.2 grams (0.9 oz) of cocaine[5] and selling ecstasy to Dutch businessman Petrus Van Wanrooij.[6] Guiga's girlfriend Mariana Abdullah was charged with drug-related offence as well.[4]
Guiga faced 24 years in jail and 20 strokes of the cane under a plea bargain arrangement he was considering.[5] 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.[5] Since Guiga's passport had been impounded as part of bail conditions, it is unclear how he managed to flee the country. Guiga was subsequently listed by Interpol as a fugitive. A possible link to the Gambino crime family, who at the time was known to be laundering money through various Bobby Rubino locations,[7] is one possible explanation of how Guiga was able to elude authorities.
Notes
[edit]- ^ According to Interpol website, Guiga is his surname. See the link below.
- ^ "Wanted: GUIGA, Lyes Ben Laroussi". Interpol. 15 January 2007. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ Ben Nadarajan (9 October 2004). "Singapore's cocaine circle". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ a b Seah Chiang Nee (17 October 2004). "Drug war enters new dimension". The Sunday Star. Archived from the original on 1 November 2006. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ a b c "Tunisian facing drug charges jumps bail". Agence France Presse. 23 February 2005. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ "Singapore to jail man for taking E". Reuters. 1 March 2005. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
- ^ Norman, Bob (21 March 2010). "Meatballs: A Brief Pasta-Based History of the Mafia in Broward". Broward Palm Beach New Times.