‘Drug kingpin’ Mostafa Baluch shackled and extradited

Police involved in the capture of Mostafa Baluch have turned their attention to a truckie suspected of being involved in a plot to smuggle him out of the country.

Alleged drug smuggler Mostafa Baluch is escorted to a NSW police plane at Coolangatta Airport as he is extradited from Queensland. Picture: Dan Peled

Police involved in the capture of Mostafa Baluch have turned their attention to a truckie suspected of being involved in a plot to smuggle the accused drug kingpin out of the country.

Jovanko Kitanovski, former owner of Kit Bros Transport, was arrested on Wednesday morning after he was found behind the wheel of the truck trying to transport Mr Baluch across the border from NSW into Queensland.

The Australian can reveal Mr Kitanovski’s wife, Mary, the ­director of the trucking company, is in a Supreme Court battle with Fadi Ibrahim, younger brother of Kings Cross boss John Ibrahim.

Ms Kitanovski is suing Mr Ibrahim after he put a caveat on a $3m Yowie Bay property in ­Sydney’s south where she and her husband live. She is trying to purchase the property.

On Wednesday morning, Mr Kitanovski – who was initially ­allowed to leave the scene where Mr Baluch was caught but was later arrested – faced Grafton Local Court on one count of per­verting the course of justice, where he was refused bail.

Mr Kitanovski was director and secretary of the transport company from 2000 to 2018. On Thursday, dozens of police ­descended on the Kit Bros trucking yard in Liverpool.

Not long after Mr Kitanovski faced court, Mr Baluch faced Southport Magistrates Court via phone from cells at Southport Watchhouse, with extradition ­approval taking just minutes.

Outside court, his lawyer said his client was “doing well”.

“He’s in good spirits and that’s all I can say at this time,” he said.

Mr Baluch’s unvaccinated status meant police could not take him back to NSW on a commercial aircraft. They considered driving him to Sydney or flying a NSW police aircraft from Bankstown to Coolangatta to pick him up. They went for option two.

The former restaurateur was then driven in a high-security convoy to a private hanger 100m from the checkpoint at which he was caught. Authorities took no chances, with at least six vehicles of heavily armed police from the Queensland Special Operations Response Team, NSW police and Australian Federal Police.

Mr Baluch was then marched to a waiting Cessna Grand Caravan to be met by officers from the NSW Police Organised Crime Squad wearing neck gaiters and body armour.

Police sources allege Mr ­Baluch was set to escape to Asia by sea, and then make his way to southeast Europe by aircraft.

On Wednesday AFP Commander Brett James told The Australian he was certain Mr Baluch was headed overseas to join high-level organised crime targets: “I don’t think his intentions were to … retire from the business that he was in, and that ultimately he was looking to get overseas to continue making money by preying on vulnerable people.”

In 2016, Mr Ibrahim placed the caveat on the Yowie Bay property, which was purchased by ex-Stilettos brothel manager Jamelie ­Lahood in 2011. Court documents reveal he is seeking almost $4.5m from Ms Lahood.

In April 2021, Ms Kitanovski filed papers against Mr Ibrahim in the Supreme Court trying to remove the caveat, and prevent any further caveats on the property.