The owner of a Queensland aviation company accused of organising a “black flight” to smuggle two alleged Australian fugitives to Indonesia has been granted bail.
The Australian Federal Police said its investigation began in November when Indonesian immigration officials detained two pilots and two passengers who arrived on a small fixed-wing plane at Merauke, in the Indonesian province of South Papua.
The flight’s certificate of clearance listed only the two copilots, one from Indonesia and one from Australia, the AFP said.
The other two undeclared passengers were from Sydney and wanted by NSW Police.
The owner of a Rockhampton charter air company, Grant Bernard Schultz, 42, has been charged with two counts of people smuggling.
Court records seen by the ABC revealed the two fugitives allegedly flown to Indonesia and wanted by police were Zulfukar Aljubouri and Duong Tan Le.
The records did not state which of the men was wanted for which alleged offence.
‘Network’ of charter flights
Mr Schultz was arrested yesterday after Australian Federal Police searched his property at Woolshed near Ipswich in south-east Queensland and his business’ premises in Rockhampton.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said police would allege Mr Schultz had organised a sophisticated people-smuggling operation.
Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer says the AFP investigation began in November.
(ABC News: Brendan Mounter)
“We allege he coordinated a network of connected charter flights on different planes and with different companies over a week to smuggle the fugitives from New South Wales to north Queensland, then on to Indonesia,” he said.
One of the wanted men, aged 34, was on bail for kidnapping offences with conditions not to approach any point of interstate or international departure.
The other man, 35, has three outstanding arrest warrants, including for supplying and manufacturing a commercial amount of drugs.
NSW Police said the relationship between the men was not known.
The wanted men remain in detention in Indonesia, and NSW Police said they would monitor the situation.
The men allegedly flew from Orange, in central west New South Wales, to Cape York on November 10 last year, Superintendent Telfer said.
They were allegedly driven or flown to various locations in Far North Queensland over the next week, before the “black flight” to Indonesia took place on November 17.
The plane’s transponder was allegedly deactivated before the men were picked up from a remote airstrip at Port Stewart on eastern Cape York.
It is alleged the transponder was not turned back on until the plane was in international waters.
Accused granted bail
Mr Schultz appeared in the Ipswich Magistrates Court today, where prosecutor Christopher Moore said the international clearance paperwork was lodged on behalf of Mr Schultz’s company Stirling Helicopters by an agent in Cairns.
The court heard the paperwork cleared two people to enter Indonesia, and the intention was for the flight to appear legitimate.
“The secrecy relates to the other two people on board,” Mr Moore told the court.
“He was aware these people were on it.“
Grant Bernard Schultz leaves Ipswich Magistrates Court after being granted bail. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)
Mr Moore told the court Mr Schultz no longer had helicopters in his possession but opposed his release on bail, arguing he presented a flight risk.
Mr Schultz was granted bail with conditions barring him from coming within 200 metres of a point of international departure.
He also had to surrender his passport.
Mr Shultz left the police watch house on bail on Thursday afternoon, telling media outside court to “watch the traffic please” as he crossed the road.
“Guys I’m not going to provide a comment at the moment,” he said.
“I’m just going to walk down here and go home.”
Christopher Moore says the international clearance paperwork was lodged on behalf of Mr Schultz’s company Stirling Helicopters. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)
Magistrate Leanne Scoines said there was “some dispute about the strength of the case”.
She said Mr Schultz had a strong connection to his community, including family in the area.
The ABC cannot reveal the case Mr Schultz made for bail as his barrister, Andrew O’Brien KC, successfully applied for the court to block media from accessing his submissions.
Business records for Stirling Helicopters, filed with ASIC, revealed the company was put into voluntary administration on Wednesday, the day Mr Schultz was arrested.
Investigators searched the premises of Grant Schultz’s company in Rockhampton (ABC News: Russel Talbot)
In 2023, Mr Schultz was involved in a helicopter crash as part of bushfire fighting efforts on the Scenic Rim.
The aircraft ditched into water at the time and he suffered minor injuries.
Andrew O’Brien KC, who is representing Mr Schultz, successfully applied for the court to block media from accessing submissions. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)
Investigations continue
Investigators were still looking into how much the alleged Sydney fugitives may have paid to leave the country, or whether Mr Schultz was coerced or threatened, Superintendent Telfer said.
“Based on the sophistication to get these fugitives out of Australia over the course of a week, with multiple flights, accommodation, we believe the figures are extensive,” he said.
“In terms of the motivation, that’s something we’re still exploring.“
The men left Australia on a “black flight” from Cape York Peninsula to Merauke in Indonesia. (ABC News: Brendan Mounter)
The two pilots and the alleged fugitives remain in immigration detention in Indonesia.
Superintendent Telfer said police had “essentially reverse-engineered their travel” after the plane landed in Indonesia.
He implored other air charter operators to contact police if they had been approached to run similar black flights.
“We have intelligence that there have been people who have exited Australia similar to this,”
he said.
