Baggage handlers and ground crews working on Qantas services have overwhelmingly voted to strike in a move that could disrupt Australians' holiday travel plans.

About 1000 Dnata workers across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia today voted 98 per cent in favour of protected industrial action.

They also overwhelmingly rejected Dnata's offer of improved rostering, job security and pay for a second time.

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Dnata is one of the companies Qantas outsourced ground handling operations to after the illegal sacking of about 1700 workers during the pandemic. 

"As a result, wages for workers getting Qantas planes off the ground have been slashed and suppressed," the Transport Workers Union (TWU) said in a statement.

Workers are demanding more hours, fairer rosters and better jobs to rebuild jobs in aviation, which the union claimed has become "low-paid and insecure". 

A date for industrial action has not been set but the union is meeting with Dnata soon.

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If talks fail, the union warned there may be disruptions over the busy Christmas period. 

"Dnata ground workers are, like many in aviation, struggling to stay in this industry under the current pay rates and conditions," TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said.

"Dnata must come back to the table with a fair offer so that low-paid workers and travellers avoid unnecessary disruption over the busy Christmas period.

"Ground handling is a highly-skilled job, but thousands of experienced workers have been forced out of the industry by Qantas' illegal outsourcing, and those who are left are under-staffed, with low wages and insecure jobs.

"We're going to continue seeing a revolving door in aviation and falling standards for passengers until this industry is rebalanced."

9news.com.au has contacted Qantas and Dnata for comment.

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A man charged with more than 50 drug and gun offences following an international manhunt has been labelled a "key organised crime figure" by police.

Police say the man spent three weeks in limbo at an airport in Manila, Philippines before being forcibly deported back to Australia and arrested.

NSW Police Raptor Squad's Detective Inspector Matthew Smith said it had been a "long journey" of evading capture for the alleged crime boss.

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"He was confined to a chair, he was guarded by two staff by the bureau of immigration, the only way he was able to leave that chair was to book a flight to Australia and return home," Smith said.

"He was provided the opportunity to leave himself, that obviously did not happen.

"It was very evident he was trying to avoid coming back to Australia and facing the serious drug and firearm charges that are held against him."

The international manhunt to track the alleged offender down spanned four countries and several years, starting in October 2022.

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NSW Police established a strike force to look into alleged cocaine supply in Sydney, which has seen three men have been previously charged and remain before the courts.

In January last year, NSW Police asked Australian Federal Police to help track down a 32-year-old man in Bangkok, Thailand, alleging he was there on a falsely obtained passport.

The man was arrested on November 8 last year and jailed for almost 11 months in Thailand on immigration offences.

In October this year, he received a royal pardon and deported from Thailand on a Brisbane-bound flight.

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While in transit in Manila, in the Philippines, the man allegedly attempted to book a flight to Istanbul in Turkey, via Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The AFP alerted its officers in Manila, Abu Dhabi, and Ankara in Turkey, who warned local authorities about the man's impending arrival.

The man was denied entry into Istanbul and redirected to Abu Dhabi, where he landed on Thursday, November 7.

Police allege he tried to book and board a flight to Lebanon, but was instead returned to Manila.

When he landed back in the Philippines on November 8, the man allegedly bought a ticket to Taiwan, but was refused entry onto the plane.

Instead of returning to Australia, the man opted to stay in the transit area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, police claim

He remained there for three weeks.

"By the time he got back into the country, he succumbed to the fact he was going to face court in NSW for the offences," Smith said.

However, he was officially denied entry to the Philippines on November 11, and was finally flown to Australia.

He was arrested by police at Melbourne Airport.

NSW Raptor Squad officers took custody of the man in Melbourne and took him to Albury, where he was charged with 55 drug and gun offences relating to the seizure of guns and ammunition during a search warrant in Kensington, Sydney, in December 2022.

He appeared in court in Sydney yesterday, where he was formally refused bail.

He will next appear in court tomorrow.

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The revelation came amid a scrappy start to Parliament’s second scrutiny week.

The young musician had been living in the United Kingdom for over a year.

Nicola Willis says the findings may face ‘public challenge’.

More than 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors have been seized at Australian borders and across the country in the past financial year, federal authorities say.

The seizures include 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, 6.8 tonnes of 1,4-butanediol, 5.6 tonnes of coctainem 1.8 tonnes of MDMA, 1.5 tonnes of ketamine and 745kg of heroin.

The total amount was an increase of 7.1 tonnes on the previous financial year.

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Some of the most significant seizures include the alleged import of 500kg of cocaine into regional Queensland, allegedly by three men from New South Wales, the alleged import of 180 litres of bute from China in baby oil bottles, and the arrest of three men over their alleged involvement in the importation and possession of about 560kg of cocaine dropped at sea off the coast of Western Australia.

Police say the seizure of the drugs prevented serious harm to Australians and makes for sobering reflection as the year draws to a close.

"Australia sadly remains a lucrative target for transnational serious organised crime and while these criminal syndicates continue to become more sophisticated in their attempts to smuggle harmful drugs into our country, the AFP and our law enforcement partners, remain a step ahead," AFP Commander Paula Hudson said.

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"The increase in the number of seizures at the border, and AFP successful operations across Australia, should also serve as a warning to the criminal syndicates which are trying to bring these illicit drugs into this country.

"We are watching, we are ready, and we will bring you to justice."

There were 11,220 Australians hospitalised – the equivalent of over 30 hospitalisations every day in 2021-22 – from methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin consumption.

ABF Acting Commander Troy Sokoloff praised the efforts of Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police officers in 2024.

"As the year draws to a close, it's quite sobering to see these figures and to consider the immense community harm that has been prevented by the dedication and significant efforts of officers in our agencies and law enforcement partners," Acting Commander Sokoloff said.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Halfway through the appeal, donations are tracking well with large donations rolling in.

40,000 chickens are to be eradicated at Moeraki farm as a bird flu outbreak is contained.

A Christmas trend gaining popularity on TikTok that involves motorists wrapping their cars in bright, bold lights, may have less than festive consequences, police have warned.

The trend sees drivers wrap their cars in Christmas lights, plugging them into the car's electrical circuit.

"How-to" videos are circulating online.

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"The reason I plugged it into the front seat and not all the way in the trunk is because if I see a cop or if I see someone who's a bit suspicious or I don't want to be shown – I literally click this button and it turns it off," one driver said.

Queensland Police have warned drivers could be fined more than $300 for violating lighting regulations.

Only police vehicles are permitted to display blue and red lights, while vehicles with red and green lights can be mistaken for ambulances.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

Rainbow crossings not pedestrian crossings, council says.