Former Sydney Hells Angels leader Angelo Pandeli was arrested in Bali after allegedly attempting to leave Indonesia on a private jet using a counterfeit Brazilian passport.
Indonesian immigration officials stopped the aircraft before departure and later found Pandeli hiding in the plane’s bathroom.
Authorities identified the 55-year-old Australian after determining the passport was fake. He was travelling with three foreign nationals on a flight reportedly destined for Mozambique.
Following his arrest, Pandeli was deported to Adelaide on Wednesday and permanently banned from entering Indonesia.
Pandeli left Australia in 2018 shortly before police searched his Sydney home as part of an investigation into an alleged $250 million drug trafficking operation.
Although the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission later linked him to the so-called “Aussie Cartel”, a criminal network suspected of coordinating major drug importations into Australia, he has never been charged with any offence.
Australian authorities previously deported Pandeli from Dubai in 2024 without laying charges. His whereabouts had remained largely unknown since then.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed it is working with Indonesian agencies regarding the circumstances of his detention but noted that Pandeli has not been charged with any offences in Australia.
Source: ABC News
