‘Dangerous criminal’: How cops caught state’s most wanted
When Alan Lace allegedly fled the scene where a drugs and cash haul was found and a police dog subsequently died in the search, a 17-day manhunt began. This is how he was finally stopped hundreds of kilometres away.
Fraser Coast
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A fugitive, labelled a “dangerous criminal” by Fraser Coast police, allegedly changed his appearance and gave a false name when stopped by officers hundreds of kilometres away.
This was after a two-week search for Alan Lace who allegedly fled the scene where a major cash and drugs haul was discovered near Maryborough on June 19.
Police Dog Rambo was killed after being hit by a car while police searched for Mr Lace that night.
Speaking to reporters in Maryborough on Wednesday, Detective Inspector Gary Pettiford said the instincts of the Gold Coast police officers, who had stopped Alan Lace on Tuesday, led them to still being able to identify him and make an arrest.
The officers stopped to investigate two men who were acting suspiciously in a car, Det Insp Pettiford said.
“I’m happy to inform members of the public that we have located and arrested the dangerous criminal that we’ve been looking for,” he said.
Det Insp said Mr Lace had been arrested “without incident”.
He was charged with several drug offences, including trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and obstruct police.
Mr Lace allegedly ran from police on June 19 after his vehicle was stopped at Maryborough West.
He was pursued by police, including police dog Rambo was accidentally killed when he was struck by a car on the Bruce Highway.
Police will allege that a large quantity of ice was located in the vehicle that was stopped at Maryborough.
More drugs, money and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found in the vehicle on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Det Insp Pettiford said it would be allege the arrest of Mr Lace had put a “significant dent” in the Wide Bay’s drug supply.
“The detectives up here in Maryborough in conjunction with other police resources from around south east Queensland have been working hard to locate him and we’re very, very happy to have him behind bars.”
He appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to reappear in Southport on August 3.
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