Dutch citizen, 51, arrested for attempting to smuggle drug trafficker in Australia

A 51-year-old from the Netherlands has been arrested in Australia on suspicion of people smuggling, the police in the country have said. The maximum prison sentence for this offense is 10 years in the country.

The Dutch person was transporting a 35-year-old fugitive from Sydney on a yacht. The fugitive is suspected of trafficking illegal drugs into Australia. He was scheduled to appear in front of a judge on January 20 in Sydney, but he did not show.

The fugitive was spotted on East Wood Beach last Saturday in the northeast of the country. He is said to have flashed a flashlight at the yacht anchored nearby. The crew onboard allegedly responded by shining back.

Shortly afterward, the yacht was intercepted by a deployed patrol boat as it headed north toward the nearby Arafura Sea. The fugitive is due to appear in the local court in Darwin. The state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, is expected to request his extradition.

In addition to the 51-year-old from the Netherlands, a 42-year-old woman from the United Kingdom was also arrested onboard the yacht. She is also accused of human smuggling.

The charges against the crew on the yacht are to be considered a warning to others, said Chief Superintendent Sonya Boylan. “The charges laid on the vessel's crew should serve as a warning. There are serious penalties, including possible jail time, for anyone tempted to facilitate any criminal venture in exchange for a profit.”

The man suspected of drug trafficking could be given a maximum sentence of life in prison.