Absolute greed fuelled by financial reward if they get away with it.
Even if they did extradite him back to Oz, he would probably only do a few years and be back out.
Sad thing is that he was probably a pretty good Pilot before he got sucked into smuggling contraband.
Bit like another pilot I knew years ago who got involved in smuggling contraband, however the authorities nabbed him at Melbourne Airport.
USA-AUS Ferry Flight - Attempt to Smuggle Drugs The idiot purchased a turbine powered 210 in the states and was going to fly it to Oz loaded up with contraband. Authorities saved his life, as he would have ended up in the drink. Same pilot also owned a 182RG which was destroyed in a suspicious hangar fire at Melton about 20 years ago. I don’t believe the authorities ever convicted anyone for that fire, there were also other aircraft lost in fire and the hangar was destroyed.