How fugitive Hussein Chamas was arrested in yacht sailing off Northern Territory coast

He had been on the run for 18 days and was more than 4000km away from where he should have been. But as fugitive Hussein Chamas and two others were sailing off the NT coast on a yacht bound for somewhere, authorities were still on the hunt.

It had been 18 days since Hussein Chamas had walked out of the Connect Global rehabilitation facility on the banks of the Karuah River after centre management took paperwork purporting to be from the NSW Supreme Court on face value and allowed him to leave.

And it was also more than 4000km away from the Port Stephens rehab centre – and an undisclosed distance off the Northern Territory coastline – when Chamas’ days as a fugitive came to an end, possibly just a few kilometres from relative safety.

It was Sunday afternoon and while the nation was celebrating Australia Day, Chamas and two others were aboard a yacht sailing away on the high seas and bound for somewhere when they saw the country’s last line of border defence on the horizon.

The vessel, understood to be a large ocean-going Australian Border Force ship, slowly approached the yacht and ordered its occupants back to the coast for some customs checks.

By Monday, and after other authorities had joined the yacht off shore, it was sailed back to the small Arnhem Land fishing port of Nhulunbuy, a town on the northwestern edge of Northern Territory and the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria once called Gove.

Hussein Chamas was being held at the Gove police station in the town now known as Nhulunbuy, on the north eastern part of Arnhem Land. (File picture)

On Tuesday, and as the Australian Federal Police worked to have extradition proceedings commence to get Chamas back to NSW, the alleged drug importer’s barrister Carolyn Davenport SC rose in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court and announced: “There have been some developments.”

Ms Davenport announced that Chamas, who was supposed to face a hearing on charges of acquiring a firearm subject to a prohibition order and possessing a prohibited drug, had been arrested in the Northern Territory.

Hussein Chamas. Picture: AFP

A file photo of Hussein Chamas

It came a week after a magistrate issued an arrest warrant for Chamas in the same court after it was discovered he had allegedly skipped bail on more serious charges including one count each of conspiracy to import a border-controlled drug, trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug and breaching a firearm prohibition order.

He was due to face a trial next year.

Chamas had not been seen since January 8 when he walked out of the Connect Global rehab centre after paperwork had been emailed to the facility’s management stating his bail conditions had been varied in the NSW Supreme Court and he could leave for Sydney.

The NSW Supreme Court would later deny that the paperwork, which boasted a court stamp and signature, was from the court.

The Connect Global rehab centre at Swan Bay. Picture: Jonathan Ng

But the apparently fake documents were enough to have Chamas gone for six days before the authorities were alerted on January 14 when Chamas had failed to return to the rehab centre he had been bailed to reside at for over 12 months.

The manhunt began before the arrest warrant was issued on January 20 and continue until his arrest.

Also on Tuesday, a Darwin Local Court representative said while Chamas was in custody at the Gove Police Station, Judge Stephen Geary had refused to hear his matter over a video link.

Hussein Chamas is expected to face extradition proceedings in Darwin Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Chamas’ expected extradition hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.

Over the next 24 hours, Chamas will be transported 700km west from Nhulunbuy to Darwin to attend the court hearing in person.

Originally published as How fugitive Hussein Chamas was arrested in yacht sailing off Northern Territory coast