- The leader of one of Australia’s largest motorcycle gangs has been extradited from Turkey.
- Mark Buddle is accused of bringing cocaine worth A$40 million ($27 million, £22 million) into Melbourne in 2021.
- He is charged with two counts, each of which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.
The leader of one of Australia’s largest motorcycle gangs has been extradited from Turkey to face criminal accusations in his own country.
Mark Buddle, the Comancheros’ leader and sometimes referred to as Australia’s most wanted man, was apprehended on Wednesday at Darwin Airport.
He will face drug-importation charges, to which he has yet to react.
Mr Buddle escaped to the Middle East in 2016 after being listed as a person of interest in a murder inquiry.
According to local media, the 37-year-old spent time in Dubai before relocating in northern Cyprus, which lacks an extradition pact with Australia.
In early July, he was ejected from Turkish-controlled territory because his presence was “inconvenient in terms of public order and security,” according to the interior ministry.
He then travelled to Turkey, which has an extradition relationship with the United States.
Mr Buddle is accused of bringing cocaine worth A$40 million ($27 million, £22 million) into Melbourne in 2021. He is charged with two counts, each of which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.
According to the Australian Federal Police, Mr Buddle coordinated the cargo using an app that was discreetly observed by their agents and the FBI in the United States.
Mr Buddle is also a person of interest in the shooting death of a Sydney security guard in 2010.
Mr Buddle allegedly took over leadership of the ‘bikie’ gang – as such groups are known in Australia – in 2009, after previous leader Mick Hawi was jailed for a fatal clash with another gang at Sydney Airport.
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