AUSTRAC intelligence has assisted the Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Task Force (WA JOCTF) to locate an alleged fugitive and charge three people over a plot to smuggle a wanted Queensland man out of Western Australia.  

The 32-year-old man, an alleged outlaw motorcycle gang member, has appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court and been extradited to Queensland, where he will face charges on a return to prison warrant and a drug trafficking arrest warrant. He is also wanted for questioning over multiple serious crimes. 

The arrest comes just a week after AUSTRAC intelligence was used to locate a foreign national who was extradited from Sydney for alleged property crimes in her home country.   

AUSTRAC works closely with law enforcement partners in each region and provided financial intelligence to the WA JOCTF operation. Further intelligence to support the operation was facilitated through the Fintel Alliance.  

Fintel Alliance, AUSTRAC’s public-private partnership, plays a crucial role in supporting law enforcement, providing specialised intelligence that can track down individuals and map their movements through transactions.  

AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said Fintel Alliance worked closely with the WA JOCTF to identify financial transactions tied to the alleged fugitive’s attempted escape. 

“Financial intelligence is not just about following the money; it’s increasingly about identifying people and pinpointing their movements,” Mr Thomas said. 

“In this case, transaction data helped authorities locate the individual and disrupt an attempted escape before it could succeed. 

“As criminals try to move, hide or flee, they leave financial footprints and those footprints can be used to find them.”  

Fintel Alliance brings together data and expertise from across government and the private sector to quickly connect those financial signals to real-world identities and locations. 

“This is about turning financial data into actionable intelligence - helping law enforcement move faster to identify, track and apprehend people of interest. 

“If you’re involved in serious crime, it is extremely difficult to avoid the financial trail and that trail can lead directly to you.” 

Please find a link to the AFP’s Media Release here: Three people charged in WA over alleged attempt to smuggle suspected QLD fugitive out of Australia | Australian Federal Police