Underworld sources believe Mark Buddle ‘kidnapped’ by Cyprus police posing as FBI

Underworld sources believe Comanchero boss Mark Buddle was ‘kidnapped’ by Cyprus police posing as the FBI, after he and his entourage were allegedly raided at gunpoint.

Local police could have been attempting a shakedown to extort cash from NSW’s most wanted man, Mark Buddle, when they arrested him in Cyprus last week.

International mystery is swirling over the arrest of Buddle, who may have been kidnapped by Cypriot police posing as the FBI as part of a shakedown bid, according to a number of underworld sources.

Buddle is now trying to negotiate his freedom from a Cyprus jail before Australian authorities find a way to arrest him and bring him back to Australia.

The boss of the Comanchero bikie gang was arrested three days ago in northern Cyprus.

Sources said he and other members of his entourage were raided at gunpoint at home by men they believed were from the FBI.

Comanchero boss Mark Buddle with a relative in a social media photo.

Buddle is now trying to negotiate his freedom from a Cyprus jail.

NSW and federal police also received word via Sydney’s underworld that he had been grabbed by the FBI on Saturday night.

Officially, neither police force is saying anything but it is known it took them more than 24 hours to hear the FBI was not involved, although it was confirmed Buddle was in custody.

“It seems it’s local police grabbed him who may be trying to either kick him out of the country or even shake him down,’’ said a law enforcement officer.

“He has been in Cyprus for a while but got involved in an altercation with local police a couple of months back and it made front page news in the region and brought a lot of attention to him, which hasn’t helped him,’’ he said.

He said it was not uncommon in some jurisdictions to extort money from suspected criminals so they can continue their operations.

“Buddle has been avoiding getting caught for years. He is smart, resourceful and has a lot of money,’’ he said.

Gangster in paradise: Buddle left Australia in 2016 alongside partner Mel Terwisscha and their young daughter.

Police sources also said the arrest possibly could have been part of a corrupt police shakedown.

Buddle is in a disputed territory where both Cyprus and Turkey lay claim to the area.

Soon after his arrest, information from the area was flowing back to Sydney describing a kidnapping-like raid that was attributed to the FBI.

“But since then no one really knows what’s happening, it’s hard to get information out of there,’’ said an underworld figure.

Federal and NSW police are not releasing any information but have been monitoring Buddle for over five years since he left Australia before he could be questioned about the 2010 shooting death of armoured van security guard Gary Allibon.

While the AFP has no extradition warrant for him it has enough evidence to arrest him if he returns to Australia. NSW police have no warrants out for him.

After leaving Australia, Buddle set up home in Dubai before leaving for various countries including Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.