Wanted Australian man found allegedly trying to escape the country

One of Australia’s most wanted men has been found allegedly trying to flee the country by hiding in the hull of a yacht. Northern Territory Police’s Joint Organized Crime Taskforce allegedly found Mark Horne (pictured bottom right), 32, on the boat as it tried to sail from Darwin’s Cullen Bay Marina to a destination in Asia on Wednesday afternoon.

Australian Border Force officers boarded the vessel and allegedly discovered him lying among fuel tanks and pipes.

Horne, from NSW, was on bail when he allegedly cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet in October. He is then believed to have fled Sydney on a private jet from Bankstown Airport. Police believe he flew to a regional airport before making his way to Queensland. At the time, Horne was awaiting trial for the alleged non-fatal shooting of truck driver and the theft of $550,000 in 2020.

His bail conditions included being required to report to police daily, not associate with any Rebels bikers, observe a 9pm curfew, offer a $50,000 surety bond and wear an ankle monitor. Horne also had to surrender his passport, with police believing he was planning to flee the country. He was last seen getting into a Hyundai Getz in Riverwood, in Sydney’s south, about 6:15am on October 21, before the vehicle travelled westbound on the M5 Motorway. Police will allege the vehicle was an Uber and that Horne cut off his ankle monitoring bracelet in the backseat. He is then believed to have left it in the car when he was dropped off to give himself a head start.

His disappearance sparked a nationwide search, with police alleging he may have been traveling Australia using fake IDs. NT Police Commander Matt Hollamby said the arrest on Wednesday signified ‘excellent work’ by the joint task force, which included the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Border Force, and Australian Federal Police.

Horne will face an extradition hearing in Darwin next Monday. Officers also arrested two other men, aged 52 and 43, on the boat. Neither have been named. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Central Command Erica Merrin said the arrest demonstrated how ‘organized crime has no borders’. Australian Border Force Commander Budhy Tanddo said the arrest showed how well different agencies work together to combat organized crime. ‘If you’re breaking the law, there really is nowhere to hide,’ Commander Tandoo said.

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