Thiruvananthapuram: In its first operation to bring back a fugitive from abroad, the state excise department brought an accused in a narcotics case from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The accused had fled the country following a major drug seizure in the district in 2023.Shaun Sunil Bret, a native of Attipra in Thiruvananthapuram and the eighth accused in the case, was brought from Abu Dhabi after the state govt completed extradition procedures in coordination with the Union ministry of external affairs.Excise commissioner Sriram Sambasiva Rao said the case dates back to July 1, 2023, when the Thiruvananthapuram excise enforcement and anti-narcotics special squad seized around 155 kg of ganja and 70 g of MDMA during a raid at Netta Junction near Pulimath.Seven accused were arrested during the initial investigation, while Bret managed to flee the country. The investigation was later transferred to the excise crime branch considering the seriousness of the case. An Interpol Red Notice was subsequently issued against Bret as efforts to trace him continued.“This is the first time the excise department has brought an accused in a narcotics case back from another country. It is also the first such operation in the department’s history. More details will emerge after questioning him,” Rao said.Excise officials said the UAE’s anti-narcotics agency informed Indian authorities last week that Bret had been detained in Abu Dhabi based on the Interpol notice. The state govt then coordinated with the ministry of external affairs and other central authorities to complete the diplomatic and extradition formalities necessary to bring him back.Rao said investigators would now focus on identifying those who helped Bret evade arrest and examining his suspected international connections.The operation involved coordination among the excise department, state govt and central authorities.
