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'Australia's most wanted man' found in lorry after 17-day manhunt

'Australia's most wanted man' found in lorry after 17-day manhunt

Handcuffs

New South Wales Police in Australia on Wednesday arrested a fugitive dubbed 'Australia's most wanted man' on Wednesday. Mostafa Baluch, the fugitive, was on the run after cutting off an ankle bracelet that was tracking his location. Baluch was out on bail.

The police had to launch a 17-day nationwide manhunt to recapture Baluch. On Wednesday, he was caught when trying to cross from New South Wales to Queensland.

When he went on the run, Baluch was wanted for attempting to smuggle 900 kg cocaine from Ecuador.

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On Wednesday he was caught while inside a car placed inside a shipping container, which in turn was being hauled in a lorry. The police halted the lorry after a tipoff.

When police knocked on the container, they heard someone knocking back from the inside. The container was opened and Mostafa Baluch was arrested.

"Today will be considered one of the great days of NSW Police," state Police Minister David Elliott was quoted as saying by BBC. Elliott questioned the decision to give Baluch a bail as "extraordinary" amount of resources were used to capture Baluch again.