Sex offender in alleged run to Thailand through Torres Strait
A registered Queensland sex offender will front a Cairns court next week after being charged with attempting to flee Australia on a yacht through Papua New Guinea.
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A registered Queensland sex offender has been charged after attempting to flee Australia on a yacht through Papua New Guinea.
Richard Carl Skrinjar, 53, is alleged to have breached strict reporting conditions after failing to notify police of his intended travel to Papua New Guinea.
He was arrested at the Fly Motel at Daru Island, about 200km northeast of the Australian mainland after travelling through the Torres Strait on the yacht.
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, Transnational Crime Unit and PNG Customs detained the man and alerted the AFP in Port Moresby who alleged Skrinjar planned to fly to Port Moresby and then onto Thailand.
PNG authorities detained Skrinjar in connection with immigration matters.
After confirming his status as a registered child sex offender, the man was expatriated to Australia.
The man arrived at Cairns International Airport on Friday March 2 2024, where he was immediately arrested by AFP officers.
The Sunshine Coast man appeared at the Cairns Magistrates Court last Friday 1 charged with one count of breaching restrictions on overseas travel and was remanded in custody to reappear on Monday March 11.
AFP detective acting superintendent Wendy Rix said intelligence shared between law enforcement partners allowed authorities to move swiftly and intercept the alleged offender.
“The effective intelligence sharing between the AFP and Papua New Guinea law enforcement partners was essential to the successful arrest of a convicted child sex offender,” Detective Acting Superintendent Rix said.
“The AFP is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and will continue to work with both domestic and international partners to identify and stop anyone involved in alleged offences of this type.”
Australian Border Force acting commander of operations Queensland Scott Butters said the arrest was a warning to anyone who thinks they are beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies.
“The ABF has ramped up our border intelligence capability in recent years, working closely with agencies here in Australia and with our partners overseas to build a global web of information sharing on those who would seek to harm our communities,” he said.
Originally published as Sex offender in alleged run to Thailand through Torres Strait
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