The men drove, took helicopters and chartered flights across multiple states before making a secret dash across international waters.

A Queensland man has been charged over allegedly organising a “black flight” to smuggle Australian fugitives out of the country.

Grant Schultz, 43, from Woolshed in Ipswich is the owner of a Rockhampton aviation company and allegedly organised to smuggle two fugitives on a secret flight to Indonesia.

Indonesian immigration officials detained four men — two pilots and two passengers — who landed in Merauke, a province of South Papua, on November 17 last year.

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Australian Federal Police were called when officials found the flights clearance only listed the two co-pilots, one from Australia and one from Indonesia.

The two undeclared passengers were found to be two men from Sydney, both wanted by NSW police.

A 34-year-old man was on bail for kidnapping offences while a 35-year-old has three outstanding arrest warrants, including for large commercial drug supply and manufacture.

AFP said the Australian pilot had alleged coordinated a “network of connected charter flights” on different planes with different companies over a week to smuggle the two fugitives.

This began with an initial flight from Orange in NSW on November 10, travelling to Cape York in Queensland.

Over the next week, the fugitives were driven, flown aboard light aircraft and helicopters to various locations in Far North Queensland before catching the black charter flight from Port Stewart on November 17.

The transponder for the plane was allegedly deactivated over Queensland, where the flight allegedly deviated from its flight plan to collect the two fugitives, and then continued into international waters where it was again turned back on.

The Australian pilot is scheduled to face Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with two counts of people smuggling, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.

He and the two NSW fugitives remain detained in Indonesia.

AFP detective superintendent Adrian Telfer said the alleged costs paid by the fugitives for the plan would have been “extensive”.

“We believe, based on the complexity and the sophistication to get these fugitives out of Australia over a course of a week, with multiple flights and accommodation, we believe the [costs] are extensive,” he said.

Telfer said the AFP are aware that criminals and fugitives have successfully left Australia under similar circumstances previously.

He added airstrips such as Port Stewart pose a threat to security due to their remoteness.

“We have listened to the concerns of community leaders about serious organised criminals attempting to exploit their pristine region for criminal ventures,” Telfer said.

“Black flights attempting to exploit the remoteness of North Queensland can try to fly under the radar by turning off transponders, but every time they land and take off at a remote airstrip, they attract attention.

“We are calling for anyone who sees suspicious activity at their local airport or airstrip to report it to police. Your call could be the key needed to unravel an international people-smuggling operation or illicit drug trafficking ring.”