Drug kingpin Angelo Pandeli detained in Dubai

Australia’s most wanted man and senior Hells Angel, Angelo Pandeli, has been reportedly arrested in the Middle East.

The 52-year-old has reportedly been held in Dubai in the last 24 hours, though it remains unclear whether he will be charged, Daily Mail reported.

Pandeli is considered one of Australia’s biggest importers of cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as a major player on the international drug scene.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission stated in 2021 that he was part of a syndicate bringing drugs worth $1.5 billion into Australia every year.

Pandeli left Australia in 2018 but has remained under the close eye of authorities as he travelled through the Middle East, Europe and Asia, with him reportedly having used Dubai as a base for dealings with leaders of different gangs.

The detainment has occurred days before he was due to travel to Cancun in Mexico for a Hells Angels gathering wherein the topic of drug importations into Australia was to be discussed by senior members.

Pandeli was set to be joined by Hells Angels members based in Thailand, Canada, the Netherlands, Russia and eastern Europe.

It remains uncertain as to whether he will attend the meeting, which is said to be organised for 5 September.

Pandeli, who became a Hells Angel in the 2000s, was previously the target of alleged tax fraud for the 2014/15 financial year before being cleared in 2017.

The tax fraud charges were part of Operation Morpheus, the largest multi-agency operation against outlaw motorcycle gangs in Australia’s history.

Pandeli rose through the ranks to eventually become national president after moving from Adelaide to Sydney.

He was formerly the national president of the Bandidos – but ‘patched over’ to the Hells Angels last year.

The Hells Angels are the world’s largest bikie gang, with almost 4,000 members across an estimated 475 chapters in more than 60 countries.