An ABC Four Corners investigation, aired last night, revealed that Captain Emad, also known as Abu Khalid, posed as an asylum seeker to smuggle himself into Australia in 2010.
Emad captained an asylum boat from Indonesia which sailed to Christmas Island, where he then set off flares to attract the Australian Navy and posed as an ordinary asylum seeker when the sailors arrived.
The authorities did not uncover his deception and the boat was listed as having 43 passengers and no crew.
He was taken into detention on Christmas Island and was given a protection visa and Australian residency on April 20, 2010, only three months after the boat arrived.
Emad and other smugglers passed ASIO security checks and went on to set up lucrative people smuggling deals in Australia.
He now lives just a few kilometres from the Australian Federal Police's headquarters in Canberra.
At least six agents on board the boat Captain Emad came to Australia on also received refugee status and were released from detention.
After arriving in Australia, Emad set up base in Canberra, where he has been working as a trolley collector at Gungahlin shopping centre.
His wife, three adult children and their dependents all got refugee status as well - using different names from those they used in transit in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Emad's wife lives in Kaleen, while his daughters live in Lyneham and Dunlop. His son lives in Hawker. The adults were all provided with public housing. According to members of the family, they claimed their father had died in Iraq.
STOP PRESS: Australian Federal Police have revealed an alleged people smuggling kingpin known as Captain Emad has fled Australia, despite being the focus of a long-running police investigation. On Monday night, the ABC's Four Corners program aired claims that Captain Emad had passed himself off as a refugee to gain entry to Australia, and was now operating his business from a Canberra suburb. AFP Commissioner Tony Negus has confirmed Captain Emad fled Australia on Tuesday night, the day after the program aired.
