Angelo Pandeli: Hells Angel cocaine kingpin and one of Australia’s most wanted men arrested in Dubai
A senior Hells Angel bikie — who is suspected of orchestrating the importation of waves of cocaine and methamphetamine into Australia — has reportedly been arrested in Dubai.
Angelo Pandeli, who rose to infamy after becoming the club’s national president, was arrested in Dubai earlier this week, The Herald Sun reports.
His reported arrest came less than two weeks before he was due to meet other gangland figures for a secretive meeting in Mexico.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.In 2021, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission accused Pandeli of belonging to a criminal syndicate who were bringing copious amounts of drugs into Australia each year, estimated to be worth $1.5 billion.
It is reported Pandeli is regarded as one of the country’s most wanted men after he took control of the global drug empire – believed to be worth billions – after several high-profile arrests of Comanchero members.
Pandeli — who owns property in Dubai — set up shop in the Middle East nation after leaving Australia in 2018.
In 2021, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission accused Pandeli of belonging to a criminal syndicate who were bringing copious amounts of drugs into Australia each year, estimated to be worth $1.5 billion.
Pandeli was expected to meet other Hells Angels members in the Mexican coastal town of Cancun — which is controlled by the Sinaloa cartel and who work alongside the Angels — later this week to discuss drug imports into Australia.
The high-profile meeting is set to attract other bikies from a range of gangs.
Pandeli was regarded as one of the country’s most wanted men after he took control of the global drug empire — believed to be worth billions — following the high-profile arrests of several Comanchero bosses in Turkey.
Pandeli grew up in South Australia before he began working as a nightclub bouncer while acting as a junior member for the Angels in the early 2000s.
The 52-year-old eventually left Adelaide and moved to Sydney, where he later established the local chapter before becoming the Hells Angels national president.
His Sydney home was raided by police in 2018 during a probe into his possible links to a failed $250 million importation of methylamphetamine into Australia via plane.
It is reported Pandeli managed to develop a far-reaching criminal network before he fled Sydney and wound up in Dubai.
