The owner of a Central Queensland aviation company has been accused of organising a black flight to smuggle two Australian fugitives into Indonesia.
Australian Federal Police executed search warrants in Southeast Queensland and Rockhampton on March 11, arresting a 43-year-old Woolshed man.
It’s alleged he coordinated flights and ground transport late last year, to get the pair out of the country.
The flight carrying the two alleged fugitives commenced in Orange, NSW, on November 10, 2025, before travelling to Cape York.
Over the next week, the fugitives were allegedly driven or flown aboard light aircraft and helicopters to various locations in Far North Queensland.
On November 17, 2025, the alleged fugitives caught a charter flight to Port Stewart and then boarded the black flight, which allegedly operated with its transponder deactivated between Coen and Port Stewart, and then into international waters.
Once over international waters, the transponder was reactivated.
The AFP commenced their investigation on November 17, 2025, when Indonesian immigration officials detained four men – two pilots and two passengers – who had arrived via aircraft at Merauke, province of South Papua, Indonesia.
The flight’s certificate of clearance listed only the two co-pilots, one from Australia and one from Indonesia.
Inquiries revealed the undeclared passengers as two Sydney men wanted by the NSW Police Force, including one man, 34, who was on bail for kidnapping offences, with conditions to not approach any point of interstate or international departure.
The other man, 35, has three outstanding arrest warrants, including for large commercial drug supply and manufacture.
The Australian co-pilot and the two alleged Australian fugitives have been in Indonesian immigration detention since their arrest and the aircraft used to transport the men was seized by Indonesian immigration officials.
AFP identified the Woolshed man’s connection and have now charged him with two counts of people smuggling.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years’ imprisonment.
He was granted bail and will reappear in court later this year.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said they are committed to providing a high-visibility uniformed law enforcement presence in North Queensland and the Torres Strait.
“Black flights attempting to exploit the remoteness of North Queensland can try to fly under the radar by turning off transponders, but every time they land and take off at a remote airstrip, they attract attention,” he said.
“We are calling for anyone who sees suspicious activity at their local airport or airstrip to report it to police. Your call could be the key needed to unravel an international people-smuggling operation or illicit drug trafficking ring.”
Anyone with information about suspected criminal activity in their community is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
