The Kerala excise department has brought a fugitive accused in a major narcotics case back from the United Arab Emirates to Thiruvananthapuram, marking the department’s first operation to return an accused from another country.
Shaun Sunil Bret, a native of Attipra and the eighth accused in the case, was brought from Abu Dhabi on Saturday after the Kerala government completed extradition procedures in coordination with the Union Ministry of External Affairs and other central authorities, 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 fled the country.
The investigation was later transferred to the excise crime branch because of the seriousness of the case. An Interpol Red Notice was subsequently issued against Bret as authorities continued efforts to trace him.
Excise officials said the UAE’s anti-narcotics agency informed Indian authorities last week that Bret had been detained in Abu Dhabi on the basis of the Interpol notice. The state government then coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs and other central agencies to complete the diplomatic and extradition formalities required for his return.
Rao said the operation was the first such action in the history of the state excise department. “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,” he said.
The return of the accused places the next stage of the case within the state’s investigation and court process. Investigators will question Bret about the 2023 seizure and examine the people who may have helped him evade arrest after leaving India.
Officials will also investigate his suspected international connections, according to the excise commissioner. The operation involved the Kerala excise department, the state government, the UAE’s anti-narcotics agency, the Ministry of External Affairs and other central authorities. Further details are expected after investigators question Bret.
