Fugitive arrested after six months on the run

By Nick Wilson

Nov 13, 2026

A man on remand who skipped custody while attending his brother's funeral has been detained after more than six months at large.

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Orijol Rukaj managed to escape the supervision of Corrections Victoria officers tasked with overseeing his April visit to a Melbourne cemetery.

The 47-year-old was being held on remand and was set to face court in June on drug importation charges.

After six months of active police searches, Rukaj was finally arrested on Friday in Bamaga, a small town in Queensland's far north.

He was being held in custody and would be extradited within days, Victoria Police said.

Police did not reveal how Rukaj managed to travel interstate undetected. There had been no confirmed sightings during his time on the run.

Rukaj's disappearance sparked widespread searches and prompted police to make a public appeal for assistance in tracking him down.

At the time of the June appeal, police said he was linked to Albanian organised crime but likely did not pose a risk to community safety.

Officers had identified several people based overseas believed to have assisted his escape.

It was their belief at the time Rukaj remained in Victoria after speaking with a number of his associates.

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