A British man on the run over alleged drugs offences was arrested after fleeing 90 miles on a jet ski from Australia to Papua New Guinea armed with a crossbow.
Border police were tipped off that a man "carrying additional fuel and supplies" and carrying the weapon had been seen launching the jet ski from the Cape York peninsula, in the northernmost part of Queensland, on Monday.
Officers from three different police agencies gave chase in an Australian Border Force vessel, pursuing the jet ski across the Torres Strait.
After making it through the chain of islands the 57-year-old – named locally as David James Jackson – was eventually arrested on mudflats just a few miles short of his apparent destination on the Papua New Guinea mainland.
Mr Jackson, who is wanted for alleged drugs offences in Western Australia, reportedly left a handwritten note in a Subaru Outback which abandoned on the beach at the tip of Cape York before setting off, stating: “If I’m not back by Wednesday, I’m not dead. But I’m not coming back.”
Officers only caught up with him on the eastern side of Saibai Island when he stopped to buy more fuel after managing managed to travel nearly 90 miles across the Torres Strait.
Jock O’Keeffe, of Queensland police, said: “He gave it a red-hot go. It’s a bit unusual to try and get from Pundsand Bay all the way to PNG. He stuck out like the proverbial.”
Fugitive jet ski Briton – Papua New Guinea
Mr Jackson, who was taken into custody at sea, was reported to have been carrying a crossbow throughout his journey, but appeared to have abandoned it shortly before his arrest.
The UK national was taken to Thursday Island where he was held by Queensland police pending extradition to Western Australia.
His escape bid began when he drove his car into the ocean and unloaded a Sea-Doo jet-ski at the isolated Punsand Bay around 7am on Monday.
An eyewitness told the local The Courier-Mail said: “He was just gonna leave his car in the water, and make a dash for it. He stuck out like dog’s balls. He was suspicious from the get-go.”
It is thought he had been spotted in the town of Bamaga trying to buy a compass and a map of the Torres Strait in the days before his attempted escape.
“When he jumped on his jet-ski he just took off, flat out,’’ said one witness, who asked not to be named, said. “It was a dead calm day and he was fairly whistling.”
Councillors and local residents on the Australian chain of islands dotted along the Torres Strait are understood to have helped the authorities identify the path the fugitive was likely have taken across the sea and chain of islands on his way to the mainland.
PA
The Cairns Post published a photograph of Mr Jackson in handcuffs and dressed in shorts and a polo shirt following his capture, accompanied by a police officer. The paper reported that he had waved and asked for the pictures to be sent to his family.
Mr Jackson will face one count of possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell supply (methylamphetamine) and possession of stolen or unlawfully obtained property when he appears at Cairns Magistrates Court on Friday.
Mr Jackson had been on the run for a month after pleading guilty to possessing meth for sale or supply, with an arrest warrant issued in WA on February 26.
A resident of Cape York called police earlier this month after his suspicions were aroused when the Briton told him he would only need a one-way ticket for a local ferry.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “He asked how far it was to the tip (of) Cape York and I said the road was shut and the ferry was like $120 for the return trip and he said he only needed one way. I said has he got a job there and he said no.
“So that rang alarm bells in my head so we got his number plate checked and it came up clear by local police so I thought this is a man that either is running or just had enough and was going to commit suicide when he ran out of money.”
The Australian navy carries out regular patrols of the Torres Strait, in part to enforce a policy of turning back asylum seekers who attempt to reach the country by boat.
Jo Crooks, of the Australian Border Force (ABF), said: "We have the ability to detect a range of border threats, including suspicious movements through the region. Anyone who thinks they can either enter or leave Australia through the region without detection should think again."
A spokesman for the AFP added: "This arrest sends a strong message to would-be fugitives – our reach across Australia is second to none and we will use all our contacts and relationships to find you and bring you before a court."
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