Notorious 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott emerges from police plane in handcuffs as he is extradited to Western Australia to face another 16 years in prison

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A notorious bank robber - dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' - has landed in Perth where he could face up to 16 years behind bars over his jailbreak charge. 

Brenden Abbott was taken from the Brisbane Correctional Centre and flown to Western Australia on a small police plane on Wednesday, with the journey taking about eight hours.

The plane stopped twice to refuel, first at Broken Hill on the NSW-South Australian border, where a handcuffed Abbott was photographed wearing a shirt and tie as he disembarked, then at Forrest near the WA-SA border. 

Moments after touching down at Jandakot airport in Perth's southern suburbs, the 53-year-old was whisked to an unknown location in a convoy of six police vehicles.

Prison escapee Brenden Abbott (pictured) has emerged from a police plane after arriving in Western Australia

Abbott was escorted off the plane wearing a shirt and tie as he disembarked in handcuffs on Wednesday

A police aircraft is seen arriving at Jandakot airport in Perth carrying the serial armed robber on Wednesday

Notorious 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott was taken from a Brisbane jail on Wednesday morning and transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited to Western Australia

The prison escapee is listed to appear via video link in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with escaping legal custody, a spokeswoman for the WA courts said.

He had fought extradition, with his lawyers arguing it was an abuse of process, but a Brisbane judge rejected the bid on Tuesday. 

Abbott was released from the Brisbane jail on parole in April, having served 18 years of a 25-year sentence for a string of robberies and another brazen escape from a Queensland prison in 1997, but WA authorities ensured he was swiftly arrested.

WA Premier Colin Barnett said while Abbott had spent a long time in prison, it was appropriate would again face the justice system in WA, where he may serve up to 16 years behind bars.

A police convoy is seen leaving Jandakot airport in Perth escorting Abbott after his extradition to WA

Moments after touching down at Jandakot airport in Perth's southern suburbs, the 53-year-old was whisked to an unknown location in a convoy of six police vehicles

WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin said Abbott had to answer for the crimes he committed in the state.

'He's a fugitive from justice. He can run but he can't escape,' Mr Mischin said.

'People can lobby on his behalf and if he wants to put up representations that says that I ought to exercise the prerogative of mercy in his case, then I will consider that on its merits.

'But I have received nothing to that effect and I'll worry about that when the time comes.'

Mr Mischin said he didn't appreciate Abbott's Ned Kelly-like infamy, saying he had made people fear for their lives when committing his crimes, while the late bushranger was a killer.

'To me, they are criminals.'

A police vehicle is seen leaving Jandakot airport in Perth believed to be carrying the serial armed robber

A police aircraft is seen arriving at Jandakot airport in Perth carrying the 53-year-old prison escapee

Abbott was dubbed the Postcard Bandit amid claims he sent postcards while on the run after his Fremantle prison escape.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, he arrived at the airport in a grey van and was driven onto the tarmac and into a hangar, where he boarded the plane behind closed doors.

He is on his way to Western Australia, where he will face charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland.

Abbott was dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' amid claims he taunted police by sending them postcards while on the run after his Fremantle prison escape. 

He escaped from the jail in 1989 by dressing up as a guard, sneaking out of his cell and then climbing to freedom through the roof. 

Abbott left Brisbane Airport on a WA Police plane bound for Perth around 7.45am on Wednesday

The 53-year-old was transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited on Wednesday

Abbott spent five and a half years on the run, donning disguises, making fake IDs and committing bank robberies to keep himself afloat. It is estimated he stole up to $6 million. 

He was finally captured in Queensland in 1995 and sent back to prison in Brisbane. 

Two years later, he broke out for a second time by cutting through his cell bars with wire smuggled in by an accomplice.

Abbott and his accomplice Brendan Berichon, 19, evaded authorities for another eight months, before Abbott was finally re-captured at a laundromat in Darwin in 1998.

Abbott was under heavy police guard as he was transported to a Brisbane court last month following an extradition warrant from WA authorities

Abbott has been ordered to return to Western Australia where he could face a 16 year jail sentence

He is being taken to Western Australia, where he will faces charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland

He was sentenced to 25 years at the then-new SuperMax at Woodford Prison, 80 kilometres north of Brisbane, where he was subjected to surveillance checks every 15 minutes. 

Abbott, who was released on parole last month having served 18 years, was arrested in Brisbane to be extradited to face charges in Western Australia. 

His lawyer tried to argue in Brisbane's Supreme Court his extradition would be an 'abuse of process'.

Abbott (pictured left with a tourist) donned disguises, made fake IDs and robbed banks to keep himself afloat while on the run from police in the 80s

Abbott was finally captured by Queensland police in 1995 and sent to the SuperMax facility at the Woodford Correctional Centre northwest of Brisbane (pictured)

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