Absconding drug haul accused Shaun Sunil Bert was extradited from Abu Dhabi and landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday morning.
The suspect was detained at Abu Dhabi airport following an Interpol Red Notice over a July 2023 seizure of MDMA and ganja.
This extradition marks the Kerala Excise Department's first-ever international retrieval of a narcotics case suspect.
Fugitive In 2023 MDMA Smuggling Case Brought To Kerala From Abu Dhabi
In a landmark extradition, Kerala Excise Crime Branch brings back key accused Shaun Sunil Bert from Abu Dhabi via Interpol Red Notice in connection with a major 2023 drug bust
Summary
For the first time in the history of the Excise Department, an accused was extradited from abroad after being involved in a 2023 narcotics seizure case here, Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao said on Saturday.
Shaun Sunil Bret (24) of Attipra here and the eighth accused in an MDMA seizure case registered in Thiruvananthapuram in 2023, was brought back to the state from Abu Dhabi following efforts to trace him abroad.
Roa told reporters that the case dates back to a narcotics seizure at Netta Junction near Pulimath in 2023, when officials seized around 155 kg of ganja and 70 grams of MDMA.
The case was later handed over to the Excise Crime Branch due to its seriousness, the commissioner said.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of the other accused, while Bret remained absconding and left the country.
An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him, Rao said.
“This is the first time we are bringing an accused in a narcotics case back from another country. It is also the first such action by the Excise Department,” Rao said.
He said the investigation was underway to identify those who helped Bret evade arrest and establish his international connections.
“More details will emerge after questioning him,” the commissioner said.
Excise officials said that last week, the Anti-Narcotics Agency informed Indian authorities that Bret was detained on an Interpol notice.
Later, the state government contacted the Ministry of External Affairs and completed the extradition procedures, officials said.
The accused was brought to Thiruvananthapuram in a flight on Saturday morning, officials added.
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