Former detective lifts the lid on the major unanswered question about Ben Roberts-Smith's airport arrest

Published: 04:00, 14 April 2026 | Updated: 04:00, 14 April 2026 Police may have arrested Ben Roberts-Smith when he touched down in NSW to secure a 'favourable outcome' at trial, a former top detective has claimed. Former AFP Detective Superintendent David Craig suggested Roberts-Smith's arrest at Sydney Domestic Airport last week, rather than in his hometown of Brisbane, was the result of an 'operational decision and orchestration'.  'I would be looking closely at [possible] perverting the course of justice charges, because this is simply an orchestration of an element of our government to get a favourable outcome,' Mr Craig told Sky News on Monday. 'This isn't for the police to make a decision about. This is about the court impartially deciding what should happen here. 'It's not up to the police to make the decision about where a trial should be held. It's beyond their purview.' It comes after the Sydney Morning Herald reported a 'well-placed' source's suggestion that authorities had made the April 7 arrest on NSW soil because they 'wanted access to a wider and more diverse jury pool'.  Mr Craig also questioned the decision to conduct the surprise arrest in front of his Robert-Smith's partner, Sarah Matulin, and his twin 15-year-old daughters. Footage of the 47-year-old walking calmly, without handcuffs, towards a waiting police vehicle was aired exclusively on Nine News.  Former AFP Detective Superintendent David Craig claims the arrest was 'orchestration' Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving on a flight from Brisbane He was taken into custody in front of front of his partner and his twin 15-year-old daughters It was Nine that doggedly pursued allegations of war crimes against Roberts-Smith and later successfully defended a defamation action over the claims.  It later emerged Roberts-Smith had offered to hand himself into police multiple times.  'Why wouldn't you simply arrange to meet him at the courthouse in Brisbane, charge him, and then do a media release saying this person has been charged with these allegations?' Mr Craig said. 'I'm sure he'll want to return to Queensland, his family's there.  Hours after his arrest, Roberts-Smith was charged with five war crime murder offences over allegations he killed two unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He was also accused of aiding, abetting or counselling another person to commit a murder on three separate occasions. The maximum penalty for each offence is life imprisonment. Roberts-Smith has consistently maintained his innocence. The former SAS soldier had planned to move overseas before police swooped He remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Sydney's west The AFP have repeatedly refused to comment on the details surrounding the arrest.  AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said it was 'information' she wasn't 'going to go into' when asked about the arrest at a press conference last week.  'There's a number of operational considerations that we factor into our planning and when to effect an arrest and how. But I'm not going to go into that detail,' she said.  It comes as new reports suggest Roberts-Smith was planning to leave Australia and make a new life for himself overseas. Sources said the Victoria Cross recipient had already made the decision before AFP officers swooped in. The Daily Mail understands that Roberts-Smith was planning to move overseas to pursue work opportunities. The precise timing, or location, of his overseas move is unclear, but it was thought to be in the near future. Roberts-Smith remains in custody at the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Sydney's west, where it is understood Ms Matulin visited him on Sunday. For those like Roberts-Smith, who are on remand, inmates are allowed to have two in-person or family tablet visits per week, whereas sentenced inmates are allowed one.  The 47-year-old is expected to apply for bail on Friday when the matter is due to be heard at the Downing Centre in Sydney's CBD. If his bail application fails, he can apply again in the NSW Supreme Court. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.