Brother and friend of ex-Adelaide fugitive Jim Soukoulis lose $270,000 bail surety

Alleged ice trafficker and Adelaide fugitive Jim Soukoulis has cost his brother and a female friend an eye-watering amount after skipping bail. Now police need your help to find him.

Fugitive Jim Soukoulis may have the Medusa tattooed on his back, but he is far from a mythical monster to his Adelaide family.

The former Adelaide man, accused of attempting to import 255kg of methamphetamines into Australia, has spent almost two years on the run since skipping bail in November 2019.

While he has eluded Federal Police hunting him, his freedom has cost his brother Terry Soukoulis of Torrensville, $150,000 and a close female friend in Melbourne $120,000 after their bail sureties were enforced by Melbourne’s County Court.

Jim Soukoulis, 58, who was living in Sydney when arrested in July 2017, is facing multiple charges, including trafficking and conspiracy, in connection with a plot to import the methamphetamines into Australia from California in a light plane.

Two co-conspirators have already faced court and are serving prison sentences over their roles in the failed plot.

The alleged $255 million drug scheme involved using a small cessna plane to take a bumper payload of ice 13,000km from California to Melbourne.

Jim Soukoulis was released from custody on bail in November 2017 to live at a South Melbourne address with sureties totalling $900,000 – including his elderly mother’s $600,000 home in Sturt St in Adelaide jointly owned by Terry Soukoulis.

An appeal against the enforcement resulted in them being reduced on hardship grounds to $150,000 for Terry Soukoulis and $120,000 for Jim’s female friend, Melbourne woman Natalie Mitrevski. Soukoulis’ 89-year-old mother Georgia was not pursued because she had not signed the surety document.

The Sturt St, Adelaide, home of Georgia Soukoulis, mother of fugitive Jim Soukoulis.

Jim Soukoulis’ last bail report at a Melbourne police station was on November 12, 2019, and he was last seen in the carpark of his apartment in South Melbourne that morning.

The week before his last bail report he withdrew more than $8,000 from several ATMs as he prepared to flee.

Federal Police said he has family in Adelaide and Greece and before his arrest travelled frequently to Thailand.

Wanted man Jim Soukoulis withdrawing cash from an ATM in Melbourne.

Federal Police Detective Leading Senior Constable Greg Hinds said arrest warrants were still current for Jim Soukoulis.

Detectives suspect Jim Soukoulis may have access to false identity documents and has used them to flee – possibly overseas.

Wanted man Jim Soukoulis.

“We’re urging people to look closely at the photographs of this man’s face and his tattoos,’’ he said.

“He has connections in Sydney and family connections in Adelaide. He could be hiding in these locations or anywhere in Australia – in your suburb, in your street.

“Do you have a new neighbour, someone who rarely leaves their home, does not want to socialise or reveal anything about himself.

“We know people can change their hair or their beards or try to mask their appearance if they are trying to evade law enforcement, but we hope the distinctive tattoos will help give us some clues.’’

Jim Soukoulis has a Capricorn star sign tattooed on his left chest, a Taurus bull on right chest and the Greek mythology figure Medusa on his back.

“These are unique features and we want the public to be on the lookout for these,’’ Det. Hinds said.

Anyone with any information on Jim Soukoulis’ whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.