Arrested driver John Kitanovski ‘has links to Moustafa Baluch’

The driver at the wheel of the truck allegedly carrying Moustafa Baluch is believed to have previous links to him, it was claimed today.

The driver at the wheel of the truck allegedly carrying Moustafa Baluch has been arrested after initially being allowed to leave the border where police made the major manhunt breakthrough.

John Kitanovski was stopped at Grafton about 9am on Wednesday hours after the truck he had been carrying alleged drug financier Baluch in was stopped at the NSW and Queensland border.

Kitanovski - who owns trucking company Kit Bros - is believed to have previous links to Baluch, police sources said.

Police arrested Baluch after he was found inside a grey Mercedes in a shipping container.

Officers found Baluch sitting inside a Mercedes inside a container in the truck.

He is currently being questioned by police while his high-profile passenger sits in the Southport Police Watch house awaiting his return to court.

NSW Police Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow who oversaw the multi-agency investigation said Kitanovski’s trucking company would now be looked at “with a fine toothcomb” by police.

Millionaire businessman Mostafa Baluch was arrested early today.

“The driver of the truck has been detained, the truck was stopped at Grafton just recently,” Det Supt Critchlow said.

“That gentleman has been detained by police and he will be charged with conveying the wanted person out of the jurisdiction.

“This gentleman has a trucking company, he is involved in transportation but also he transports other commodities from time to time, so he’s somebody who’s been of interest to us.

“Mr Baluch has given us opportunities we didn’t have before and this is very exciting for us because it’s given us great potential.”