China-based former US military pilot detained in Australia

A former US military pilot and flying instructor who had been employed in China was detained in Australia and is now being sought for extradition to the US, according to Australian court documents and business records.

In accordance with court documents, two law enforcement sources, and Daniel Edmund Duggan’s attorney, the 54-year-old was detained by Australian Federal Police on Friday in the small town of Orange, New South Wales.

Duggan was denied bail and sent to the adjacent Bathurst prison, according to two sources, when his lawyer remotely appeared.

The federal police were acting in response to a US request for Duggan’s detention prior to what is expected to be official extradition procedures, according to one of the police sources who was not allowed to talk in public. Duggan is a former US citizen.

In order to discuss any bail requests, Duggan will make his next court appearance in Sydney in November. His charges and the specifics of the US arrest warrant are also under wraps.

According to a written statement from a representative for the federal Attorney-Department, General’s “A person was detained on October 21, 2022, in response to a request from the United States of America for their provisional arrest.” It would not be acceptable to speak further while the case is still pending in the courts.

The arrest occurred the same week that Britain issued warnings to hundreds of former military pilots telling them to halt working in China or risk prosecution under new legislation on grounds of national security. Additionally, Australia is looking into claims that some of its former jet pilots had been solicited about jobs in China.

An aviation source claimed that Duggan’s activities in China was the reason the FBI was looking for him. Dennis Miralis of Nyman, Gibson and Miralis, who is his attorney, said he was unable to respond.

After serving in the US military for ten years, Duggan relocated to Australia and established Top Gun Tasmania, a company that offers thrill flights in fighter aircraft to tourists. Company records and aviation sources both confirm this.

Three pilots said that Duggan also performed in Australian air shows in ex-military aircraft.

Prime Gun On the Tasmanian government website, it is said that Duggan was an air combat instructor and a Harrier jump jet pilot for the US Marines.

According to Australian business papers, he sold Top Gun Tasmania shortly after moving to Beijing in 2014.

According to Duggan’s LinkedIn page, he has been working as the managing director of AVIBIZ Limited in Qingdao, China, since 2017. The firm is defined as “a complete aviation consultancy company with a focus on the fast developing and dynamic Chinese Aviation Industry.”

According to Hong Kong business records, Daniel Edmund Duggan, an Australian citizen with a passport, registered AVIBIZ Limited there in 2017 and it was dissolved there in 2020.

Duggan could not be reached for comment right away.

The US government has 60 days to request extradition under the terms of Australia’s extradition agreement with the US. The agreement permits the extradition of Australian residents.

Miniechat

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