A Queensland aviation business owner is facing court over allegations he orchestrated a people smuggling operation to transport two fugitives – one wanted for kidnapping and the other for large-scale drug trafficking – into Indonesia.
Grant Schultz, 42, the owner of Rockhampton-based Stirling Helicopters, has been charged with two counts of people smuggling and is expected to appear in a Queensland court on Thursday, according to Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The alleged smuggling attempt was discovered on November 17, when Indonesian immigration authorities intercepted a twin-engine Piper aircraft at Merauke, in the South Papua province, carrying two passengers without valid visas or passports. The flight originated from the remote Queensland community of Coen.
Authorities identified the two passengers as wanted individuals: one facing kidnapping charges in Australia, and another sought in connection with large-scale drug trafficking. Both remain detained in Jakarta.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer stated that Schultz allegedly “coordinated a sophisticated people smuggling operation to help the fugitives escape from Australia.” He further alleged that Schultz coordinated a network of charter flights, utilizing different planes and companies over a week, to move the fugitives from New South Wales to North Queensland and then onward to Indonesia.
Telfer noted that the final flight from Queensland had its transponder switched off, a tactic used to evade detection. “Black flights attempting to exploit the remoteness of north Queensland can attempt to fly under the radar by turning off transponders, but every time they land and take off at a remote airstrip, they attract attention,” he said.
Police raided Schultz’s home in Woolshed, southeast Queensland, and the Stirling Helicopters base in Rockhampton on Wednesday. AFP officers were again present at the Rockhampton base on Thursday morning.
Sources indicate that Schultz’s business has faced financial difficulties, with emails reportedly sent to employees this week informing them of the company’s liquidation. Records show Schultz previously operated businesses in aviation, heavy haulage, earth moving, and house removals.
Schultz gained public attention in 2023 when he survived a helicopter crash although assisting in bushfire firefighting efforts.
Telfer urged charter operators to report any suspicious travel requests, stating, “It’s pretty obvious if people approach you to get out of the country without telling authorities, I think that’s something that would raise your suspicion.” He declined to disclose the amount paid by the fugitives but characterized the operation as a “very sophisticated strategy” likely incurring a “very large cost.”
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