Federal police officers have been visiting North Queensland airports as they strengthen efforts to ‘bust’ people-smuggling flights.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced the visits after a Woolshed man faced Ipswich Magistrate’s Court today (March 12) on two counts of people smuggling over a ‘black’ flight that they say smuggled two Australian fugitives to Indonesia.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said they are now expanding their reach across North Queensland and Torres Strait.
“Any criminals seeking to exploit these communities should be warned they face a much stronger (law enforcement) presence as the AFP, Queensland Police and Australian Border Force build up our North Queensland (joint taskforce),” he says.
Federal police aviation teams are now visiting regional airports, including a recent trip to Horn Island.
“We have listened to the concerns of community leaders about serious organised criminals attempting to exploit their pristine region for criminal ventures,” Det-Supt Telfer says.
“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 points out.
“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.”
FEDERAL CHARGE OVER ‘BLACK’ FLIGHT
The defendant, and owner of a central Queensland aviation company, is facing up to 10 years jail if convicted of people smuggling, the AFP says.
They say the man was arrested after searches of premises in south-east Queensland and Rockhampton on March 11 and arrested the man.
The AFP say their investigation began on November 17, 2025, when Indonesian immigration officials detained four men (two pilots and two passengers) who had flown into Merauke, South Papua (Indonesia).
Flight certificates of clearance listed only the two co-pilots, one from Australia and one from Indonesia.
The AFP are telling the court that their inquiries revealed the undeclared passengers were two Sydney men wanted by NSW Police; a 34-year-old male on bail for kidnapping offences banned from travelling interstate or overseas and a second man, 35, with three outstanding arrest warrants.
The Australian co-pilot and alleged fugitives have been in Indonesian immigration detention since their arrested and their aircraft seized, police say.
The federal police allege that the defendant co-ordinated a series of charter flights on different planes with different companies over a week to fly the two from NSW to North Queensland and into Indonesia.
They say the two men were flown out of Orange, NSW, on November 10, 2025, to Cape York and over the next week, they were either driven or flown to different locations in Far North Queensland.
On November 17, 2025, the duo were reported to have caught a charter flight to Port Stewart then boarded the ‘black’ flight and the aircraft’s transponder turned off somewhere between Coen and Port Stewart and international airspace when it was turned back on.
Anyone with any information about suspected criminal activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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