One of the country's most-wanted fugitives — who has been on the run for more than 12 years — is believed to have spent most of that time keeping a low profile in Far North Queensland.
Graham Gene Potter has been wanted by police since February 2010, when he failed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to front conspiracy to murder charges.
He was arrested on Monday in the small mountain township of Ravenshoe, a two-hour drive west of Cairns — where he had been living in squalid conditions in a shack — his arrest was captured in dramatic vision released by Queensland police.
Potter faced Atherton Magistrates' Court court via video link this morning, where no application for bail was made.
He will be released into the custody of Victoria police later today and is expected to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Acting Detective Inspector Kevin Goan said police were tipped off to Potter's presence at the Ravenshoe address.
Inspector Goan said local police had been working with Victorian authorities for several years, investigating a number of sightings across the region.
"As a result of that collaboration, detectives were advised that a person fitting Potter's description could possibly be in attendance at the residence at Ravenshoe," he said.
Inspector Goan said when officers arrived Potter gave a pseudonym of "Josh Lawson".
It took biometric examination at Mareeba Police Station to confirm Potter's identity.
He said police from Victoria are en route to the Tablelands and expected to apply for extradition and take Potter into custody later today.
Potter believed to have been in area more than a decade
A woman believed to have been living at the house where Potter was found has not been taken into custody.
Inspector Goan said work would be done when Victorian police arrived to determine if any charges would be made against any person who might have been harbouring Potter.
He said police believed Potter had been in the area for the past 12 years.
"His last credible sighting was in Tully in 2010 [and] he avoided capture at that time," Inspector Goan said.
"He's certainly been keeping a low profile. He has assimilated, at some points, within the community."
Residents in the quiet mountain village of Ravenshoe said they had never seen Potter, despite the town only having a population of 1,000.
Jack Roberts said he had been living opposite the ramshackle house, with empty alcohol bottles in the windows, for years.
Mr Roberts said the house was hidden completely by dense banana trees until very recently and that the local council had ordered they be chopped down due to complaints about rats.
"Nobody in this town knew he was there. He never came out during the day, never of a night time either," he said.
"Everyone on the street knows who is who but not personally — we don't have barbecues.
"If you wanted to get away from it all, this is where you come to live."
One longtime resident, who did not wish to be named, said she was friends with the woman who was allegedly living with Potter.
She said the woman had never mentioned Potter.
"She is a sweet, very quiet lady and she rents rooms out to borders, I doubt she was in a relationship with him, " the resident said.
Link to underworld murder plot
Police have been searching for Potter since 2010, after he failed to appear on conspiracy to murder charges.
He has been accused of being contracted to kill a man at the wedding of the son of Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto.
On top of that, he was also wanted on federal drug trafficking charges.
He was last seen by police in Tully, south of Cairns, in 2010, but escaped after being pulled over in a routine intercept.
Potter allegedly evaded capture for more than a decade by changing his appearance and identity, including wearing fat suits and wigs.
