Like so many 20-somethings, low funds forced Brett Pechey to come home from southeast Asia.
Unlike many 20-somethings, police officers and about 25 charges were waiting for him when he got there.
One of Queensland's most wanted bikies, Pechey was taken into custody after touching down at Brisbane International Airport about lunch time on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old spent more than a year living in Thailand - first Bangkok, then Phuket - after fleeing Australia after a violent bikie brawl at Broadbeach in 2013.
The alleged one-time boss of the West End Bandidos had been living off profits from a clothing business and funds channelled via friends and family in Australia.
But when both of those sources dried up, he decided to come back.
The heavily-tattooed offender will now face a host of charges including extortion, threatening violence and stalking.
Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said police had been pursuing extradition options when negotiations with Pechey led to him boarding a plane and handing himself over voluntarily.
While detectives are still investigating Pechey's links to Sydney's Brothers 4 Life gang, Det Insp Smith said he seemed chastened by his time on the run.
"He certainly hasn't got the bravado that they would normally have," he said. "He appears resigned to the fact things have changed."
Video footage showed Pechey to be one of the "more significant players" in the Broadbeach incident, Det Insp Smith said.
The other charges he's facing relate to a number of dawn raids conducted by police last March across Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan.
The raids netted nine patched Bandidos members and led to members of the West End and Centro chapters being charged with extortion offences.
Police claim they'd used standover tactics to intimidate victims, some cornered at gyms, into handing over money and property.
One victim even required facial reconstruction surgery after suffering a broken nose, fractured eye socket and chipped teeth, while another was allegedly threatened with a hand gun and a baseball bat.
Det Insp Smith said a number of criminal motorcycle gang members remain living overseas but are not currently wanted by police.
"Realistically, I hope they never come back," he said. Pechey is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday.
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