An Albanian citizen, suspected of drug trafficking who had escaped during his brother’s mortar ceremony in Melbourne, Australia, has been arrested again in the state of Queensland.
Orijol Rukaj, 47, was arrested on Friday in Bama, near the Cape York Peninsula, during an operation conducted by Queensland Police and Detectives of the People’s Research Unit and Victoria Police Drug Crime Unit.
Rukaj, who was held at the Margonenet Correctional Centre prison on drug-related charges, including the possession of a quantity of cocaine classified as a commercial amount, had received special permission to attend his brother’s memorial ceremony on 25 April at the cemetery of Keilor East.
However, despite being handcuffed and under the supervision of correctional service workers, the 47-year-old managed to go unnoticed. His escape, linked by authorities with contacts in Albanian organised crime, set in motion a broad search operation by police.
According to witnesses, Rukaj had helped keep his brother’s coffin while leaving the cemetery. Later, he allegedly took advantage of the presence of about 300 people at the mortuary ceremony to leave among the crowd. Investigators suspect he may have left with a black Toyota LandCruiser vehicle.
In June, police raided 20 properties in Melbourne, linked to family members and relatives of Rukaj, but by Friday there had been no trace of him.
Currently, Rukaj is in custody in Queensland. Detectives at the Victoria Police Research Unit are expected to seek his extradition to this state, while in the coming days he will be questioned about the escape.
The signal where the truth speaks before the news!
Source Layer: Signal