British man arrested after fleeing Australia on a jet ski, armed with crossbow

A British man has been arrested after allegedly trying to flee Australia on a jet ski, armed with a crossbow.

According to the London Evening Standard, the 57-year-old was wanted for alleged drug offences, and was apprehended after being spotted jet skiing near the Cape York peninsula in the northernmost part of Queensland.

Locals who saw him carrying supplies and fuel for the journey alerted Cape York police, who pursued him in what The Sun calls a “high speed chase” as he travelled almost 90 miles from the coast.

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He was reportedly aiming to jet ski to Saibai Island, an Australian island two-and-a-half miles south of the Papua New Guinea mainland.

“He gave it a red-hot go,” said Jock O’Keeffe of Queensland Police, who confirmed that the man was in possession of a crossbow throughout his journey but did not have a weapon with him upon his arrest, The Guardian reports.

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 Australian Federal Police added that the 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”.

The man has been taken to Thursday Island, off the Queensland coast, where he is awaiting extradition to Western Australia.