Sala Pe’a: Coomera man extradited to NSW for alleged service station robbery
For the best part of two decades, an alleged armed robber stayed out of the eye of authorities despite a warrant issued for his arrest. Now, he has been extradited from his Gold Coast home to face court.
The Express
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Despite almost two decades passing, a man suspected of an armed robbery on a southwest Sydney service station in 2003 has been extradited from Queensland to NSW to face criminal charges.
Sala Pe’a, 38, was arrested on Monday and extradited from Queensland yesterday to face charges at Burwood Local Court relating to an outstanding warrant for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery at a Lakemba service station all the way back in April 2003.
The arrest came as part of a police operation targeting outstanding warrants in Sydney’s southwest.
The warrant was originally issued after Pe’a allegedly failed to appear in court in December 2003.
Police conducted several inquiries across the following years but were unable to locate Pe’a, with information leading police to believe he had fled interstate.
Late last month officers from Campsie Police Area Command received information Pe’a was living in Coomera, Queensland.
Following extensive inquiries by detectives, he was arrested on Monday at a home in Coomera by Queensland Police.
On Tuesday, Campsie Police Area Command detectives travelled to Southport Magistrates Court, where extradition was granted.
Pe’a was taken to Tweed Heads police station where the outstanding warrant was executed.
He was refused bail and appeared at Tweed Heads Local Court yesterday where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court later this month.
Pe’a’s arrest and extradition was part of Operation Persistence, which was launched in January by State Intelligence Command with officers across Sydney’s southwest to target individuals wanted on outstanding warrants between March 12 and 18.
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