Dutchman arrested in Australia for aiding fugitive escape

A 51-year-old Dutch national has been arrested in Australian waters after a fugitive prisoner was found aboard his yacht. Local authorities report that the man faces up to ten years in prison for human smuggling.

The fugitive, aged 35, had escaped from a drug rehabilitation clinic. He was apprehended at Sydney Airport in July 2023 on suspicion of drug offenses and violating a firearm prohibition, according to the Australian Border Force (ABF).

An arrest warrant had been issued after he failed to appear in Sydney court on January 20. News site 9News reports that police were alerted last Saturday about a man seen shining a flashlight toward a yacht at East Woody Beach in northern Australia.

A flashlight was reportedly shone back from the yacht. That night, neither the man nor the yacht was found.

The following day, police and customs spotted the boat sailing north in the Arafura Sea, between Indonesia and Australia, with the escaped prisoner on board. Also on the ship were the 51-year-old Dutchman and a second crew member, a 42-year-old woman from the United Kingdom.

This woman risks the same prison sentence as the Dutchman. Police Commander Paula Hudson told 9News that it is believed the escaped man was “attempting to flee Australia and evade prosecution.” Police are still investigating how the prisoner and the crew knew each other.

Source: NOS

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