Three charged in WA for attempted people smuggling

Three people have been charged in Western Australia after allegedly attempting to smuggle a suspected Queensland fugitive out of Australia.

It is the first time anyone in WA has been charged with attempted people smuggling.

The suspected fugitive is a 32 year-old man who is allegedly an outlaw motorcycle gang member and was one of three people arrested when the WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (WA JOCTF) intercepted a yacht on Monday morning.

The yacht was found off the coast of Exmouth, 1,250km north of Perth and was allegedly heading for Indonesia.

A 46-year-old Queensland man, Cass Williams, and 45-year-old Queensland woman, Jessica Beckett, appeared in Carnarvon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged with attempted people smuggling.

A 40-year-old NSW woman, Fatma Skaf, was arrested on Monday travelling between Exmouth and Karratha and was charged with the same offence. She appeared in Karratha Magistrates Court.

WA JOCTF have been investigating the alleged scheme since last month, and investigations remain ongoing into the syndicate allegedly responsible.

The three charged with attempted people smuggling have been remanded in custody.

The alleged outlaw gang member will be extradited back to Queensland on a return to prison warrant and a drug trafficking arrest warrant.