On April 10, a group of men illegally entered a Maroochydore unit and threatened a 27-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, demanding a substantial sum of money under the threat of violence. When police arrived, five men had already fled the scene; however, two men who remained were apprehended by officers.
The two arrested individuals face charges of deprivation of liberty and extortion, with their actions deemed intentional and threatening. Following this incident, detectives travelled to Sydney to locate and extradite further suspects involved in the incident. Four men, aged between 27 and 32, were arrested in Sydney’s western suburbs and subsequently extradited to Queensland on Friday. They are scheduled to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
One additional suspect is set to be extradited at a later date, due to unrelated health concerns. Detective Inspector Chris Toohey has described the alleged crime as “serious, vicious and premeditated,” warning that such criminal behaviour will face stringent consequences.