Northern Territory Police have arrested a 37-year-old male in relation to a stolen vessel.
The male hired the $750,000 vessel on 8 July 2018 in Thailand. It is believed the male was attempting to flee Thai authorities in relation to an incident which occurred on 4 August 2017, Northern Territory Police say.
The male and his brother are alleged to have removed the tracker for the yacht before travelling to Australia. The hire company reported the vessel stolen when it was not returned on the agreed date.
On arrival to Darwin on 19 August 2018 the yacht was searched by Australian Federal Police and NT Police Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) members where numerous documents relating to the unlawful use of the yacht were seized. As a result the yacht was also seized.
The male was extradited to Sydney to face court in relation to the incident which occurred in Thailand.
Around 12:30 am on 14 September the male arrived back in Darwin where he was arrested by NT Police at the airport.
He was charged with:
- Aggravated unlawful use of a vessel
- Unlawful possession of property
He is due to appear in Darwin Local Court today.
