Hells Angels-linked fugitive Jim Soukoulis has been deported from Indonesia and returned to Melbourne Airport, ending six years on the run.
Soukoulis, who vanished while on bail in 2019, was originally charged over an alleged 2017 plot to smuggle more than 250kg of methamphetamine from California to Australia.
Investigators claim a custom-made aluminium box was fitted to a light aircraft to conceal the drugs, destined for Melbourne. Police sources later suggested the overloaded plane might have crashed into the sea.
Soukoulis was charged following a joint investigation by the AFP and US Drug Enforcement Administration.
At the time of his disappearance, he was also facing charges of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine, dealing with proceeds of crime, and a 2013 trafficking charge involving cocaine and methamphetamine.
The AFP confirmed Soukoulis’ arrest at Tullamarine on Thursday morning after coordinating his extradition. His capture follows a six-year international manhunt, with authorities noting his strong connections in Asia helped him evade detection.
Soukoulis’ underworld links were highlighted in 2017 when he was photographed dining in Phuket with senior Australian and international Hells Angels figures, including Victorian bikie Luke Moloney, Canadian member Damion Ryan, and Sydney’s Daniel Callaghan.
Law enforcement officials say his return will not go unnoticed in gangland circles, with his case the latest example of fugitives being tracked down and returned to face trial in Australia.
Source: Herald Sun.
