Fugitive linked to cartel found hiding in bathroom of private jet

Indonesian authorities arrested an Australian fugitive hiding in the lavatory of a private jet as it was about to take off from the resort island of Bali, officials said Thursday.

Officers rushed on board the plane after the pilot was ordered to return from the runway to the VIP Terminal at Bali’s Denpasar airport on Saturday.

Immigration officials had become suspicious of a man traveling on a Brazilian passport with no record of entry to Indonesia or a valid residence permit for the country.

The man and three other foreign passengers and three crew members were ready to depart from Bali’s capital for Maputo in Mozambique when the pilot received the call to stay on the tarmac.

Officials found three passengers in the cabin and their suspect hiding in the lavatory, Bali immigration authorities said in a statement.

Australian media identified the man as Angelo Pandeli, a prominent member of a motorbike gang linked to drug trafficking and wanted by Interpol. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in 2021 alleged Pandeli was part of the “Aussie Cartel,” which was allegedly responsible for smuggling drugs into the country, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

He was apparently using someone else’s Brazilian passport to evade arrest.

The 55-year-old was suspected in a series of large-scale drug smuggling operations, according to the Australian Federal Police.

“The individual was immediately deported following a direct request from the Australian Embassy to undergo further legal proceedings in Australia,” an Indonesian immigration official told the ABC.

Indonesian authorities have vowed not to let the popular holiday island of Bali become a hideout for international criminals.

Just days ago, officials said Indonesian authorities arrested two Russian nationals suspected of smuggling drugs into Bali after a high-speed car chase hit several pedestrians.

In April, a Scottish fugitive wanted in Spain for drug charges and money laundering was arrested at the island’s airport upon arrival and sent back to Europe.

Last August, a Peruvian woman was arrested in Bali after allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine into the resort island using a sex toy and hiding drugs in her underwear.

Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years.