Comancheros bikie boss Mark Buddle flown out of Darwin in secret late-night operation

Cuffed and restrained at the waist, Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle has been flown out of Darwin under the cover of darkness in a secret operation to face court in Victoria today where he’s expected to make no application for bail.

AUSTRALIA’S most powerful bikie Mark Buddle will face court this morning after a secret late-night operation to extradite him from Darwin to Melbourne.

Buddle’s Sydney based lawyer Stephen Zahr flew to Melbourne this morning for the first court appearance of the one-time International President of the Comanchero Bikie gang.

When contacted, Mr Zahr said: “No bail application will be made at this stage.”

“I have not yet been in a position to have a legal conference with my client,” Mr Zahr said.

“Once that occurs we will be in a position to consider our options in relation to any future bail application.

Mark Buddle is extradited from Darwin to Melbourne. Picture: Supplied.

Buddle, 37, was boarded onto a chartered flight out of the Northern Territory under the cover of darkness on Thursday night, escorted by almost a dozen Australian Federal Police officers.

Wearing balaclavas the officers bundled the bikie onto seat 21F two days after he was ordered to face a Victorian court.

Mark Buddle was seated on 21F. Picture: VicPol

Buddle was shackled and restrained, his hands cuffed and attached to his waist, as several officers surrounded him from the tarmac to the plane.

There was no marching of the bikie through the airport when he arrived in Melbourne, with the plane parking in an undisclosed hangar before Buddle was whisked off the aircraft steps and straight into an AFP van.

It comes as police feared the possibility his underworld contacts would attempt a daring plot to bust him out of custody.

AFP officers have escorted Mark Buddle, 37, on a chartered flight from Darwin to Melbourne to face two charges for allegedly importing cocaine worth about $40m. Picture: Supplied.

Comancheros bikie boss Mark Buddle to be extradited from Darwin to Victoria

AUSTRALIA’S ‘most wanted man’ who allegedly ran a $40m bikie drug syndicate will be extradited to Victoria, after being overseas for more than five years.

Mark Douglas Buddle, 44, remained under police guard for his interstate extradition hearing, appearing in Darwin Local Court via a call on Wednesday.

The court heard Buddle was deported from Turkey and flown into Darwin under strict armed guard where he was arrested by officers.

The court heard Buddle was held in the cells of the Palmerston watch house.

“Police have some security concerns and that is why you’re appearing via telephone,” Judge Elizabeth Morris told Buddle.

Mark Buddle has been extradited to Australia, facing AFP charges under Operation Ironside. Picture: AFP.

The Comancheros bikies boss faces accusations of importing 160kg of cocaine, worth $40m, into Melbourne last May.

The Australian Federal Police applied for Buddle to face drug importation charges in Victoria on August 10.

Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions representative Naomi Low said there were warrants out for Buddle’s arrest in Victoria, and safety concerns meant the bikie boss would need increased security as part of his extradition to Victoria.

His representative Robert Welfare did not oppose the extradition.

Ms Morris ordered that Buddle was to be kept in secure custody in the Northern Territory until no later than August 10, where he would be transported to Victoria to face court before the Melbourne Magistrates Court by no later than August 10.

The extradition decision comes after the fugitive bikie boss was transferred to the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday, following his FBI arrest in Northern Cyprus on July 10.

Buddle was previously a Turkish resident and was arrested on alleged visa violations.

In a statement, the AFP said they established Strike Force Gain-Orion to target Buddle who they allege was involved in using the AN0M app to discuss the importation.

The AFP has alleged Buddle was among a group of people operating a syndicate between Hong Kong and Turkey.

Police allege the shipment travelled through Hong Kong and Sydney, before landing in Melbourne.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan will address the media in Canberra this morning.

Buddle, who has been overseas since 2016, has for years been a significant target for Australian law enforcement agencies.

Originally published as Comancheros bikie boss Mark Buddle flown out of Darwin in secret late-night operation