Australian police have arrested one of the country's most wanted criminals after a 12-year manhunt.

The suspected mafia hitman is accused of conspiracy to murder and trade in 25,000 ecstasy tablets and is downright "violent," Chief Police Officer Mick Frewen said on Tuesday.

The suspect was released on bail in 2010 and fled shortly before his court hearing.

At the time, he was accused, among other things, of having been involved in the planning of an attack on a wedding.

To escape from the police, the man disguised himself and slipped into a so-called "fatsuit" to appear fatter.

He was arrested on Monday after a tip from the public in an abandoned house in the small town of Ravenshoe, Queensland.

The man was on Australia's top 10 most wanted list.

Authorities have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

He had been in prison for 15 years for a murder in 1981.

He was brought before a judge in Queensland on Tuesday.