Angelo Pandeli, 55, from Whyalla, is accused of large-scale drug smuggling operations into Australia, Balinese police said.

He was arrested at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on private jet due to fly from Denpasar to Maputo in Mozambique.

Police said an Interpol notice alleges he is an influential figure in a transnational serious organised crime network and a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

He was deported on Wednesday night on AirAsia flight QZ420 from Denpasar to Adelaide and placed on Indonesia’s permanent immigration blacklist.

Immigration officers were clearing four passengers aboard the plane on Saturday about 10pm when they noticed ‘irregularities’ with Pandeli’s Brazilian passport.

Officers said Pandeli had used another person’s details to deceive immigration officers and had no record of entry into Indonesia or a valid stay permit.

Authorities delayed Pandeli’s departure. But the group had already boarded the aircraft and reportedly asked the pilot to take off.

+5
View gallery

The alleged bikie has been identified as 55-year-old Whyalla man Angelo Pandeli (right)

+5
View gallery

He was arrested at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after boarding a private jet

+5
View gallery

Bali immigration officials said they found him in the private jet’s lavatory

+5
View gallery

Immigration officers were clearing four passengers aboard a private jet on Saturday about 10pm when they noticed ‘irregularities’ with Pandeli’s passport

Air traffic control stopped the plane and brought it back to the VIP terminal.

Pandeli has been living in Dubai for a number of years. His location was unknown before his arrest at a Bali airport this week.

He has never been charged with any offence and has no serious convictions. The Daily Mail is not suggesting he is involved in any wrongdoing.

Balinese officials allege Pandeli had evaded law enforcement for an extended period and was attempting to leave the region using unlawfully obtained travel documents to escape jurisdiction and continue criminal activity outside Australia.

An AFP spokesman confirmed to the Daily Mail it is aware a 55-year-old Australian man has been deported from Bali after being detained by officials.

‘The AFP continues to liaise with Indonesian authorities and other partner agencies regarding the man’s travel and the circumstances of his detention,’ they said.

The remaining passengers, crew, and the aircraft have been placed under a departure hold while inquiries continued.

International authorities, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the AFP, inspected the private jet.

+5
View gallery

He was deported on Wednesday night on AirAsia flight QZ420 from Denpasar to Adelaide

‘We firmly state that there is no place in Indonesia for fugitives or transnational criminals seeking refuge,’ Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Bugie Kurniawan, said.

‘This action is in line with the directive of the Director General of Immigration under the spirit of “Immigration for the People,” which aims to protect the nation and serve the public.’

SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15890879/angelo-pandeli-bali-plane-arrest.html