Australian man extradited from Croatia to face court in Perth on drug charge

An Australian man who has allegedly been on the run from police for 12 years lived in multiple countries before finally being arrested in Croatia.

A 43-year-old man has been extradited from Croatia to Perth to face a drug charge dating back more than a decade.

The man was facing a charge of possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply when he allegedly failed to appear in Perth Magistrates Court in October 2010.

Police believe the man travelled overseas by boat and over the years had spent time in Indonesia, Netherlands, England, Spain and Greece.

“We also believe that he changed his name a number of times throughout the years, and obtained a United Kingdom passport in another name,” Commander Gordon Fairman said.

The man was arrested on August 1 at Dubrovnik Airport following an Interpol red notice.

He was escorted by WA Police Force detectives and arrived back in Perth on Friday.

“For 12 years we have continued the investigation into this man’s disappearance, and despite the measures he took to hide and change his identity, we never gave up the search for him,” Commander Fairman said.

“We also acknowledge the work of our national and international counterparts, including Australian Federal Police in Belgrade and in UAE.

“Their assistance has led to WA Police finally being able to return him to Australia to answer his charges in court.”