NT Police say they have arrested a man whose parole they revoked last week, a man who had been sentenced in 2013 to a non-parole period of nine years in prison for his part in an infamous gang rape at gunpoint of two European backpackers in Alice Springs.

In 2013, as an 18-year-old, Norman Kernan pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape of the two women, and was sentenced to 15-years in jail with a non-parole period of nine years.

He and two other males – who wore cloths to partially cover their faces – had repeatedly raped the German and Finnish women after smashing through the windows of the car they were sleeping in, in a suburban street in Alice Springs in 2012. One of the offenders had a rifle he threatened the women with.

Mr Kernan was 17 when he raped the women, and was dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.

The Alice Springs News reported that in his sentencing remarks Justice Mildren said the crime was “at the high end” but “not in the worst category” of offending, and said he recognised the potential for Mr Kernan’s rehabilitation, with no evidence he was likely to re-offend in the same way, and while in prison would mature.

NT Police director of communications Mark Wilton has said in a statement last Friday that Mr Kernan’s parole was revoked on Thursday, and he was believed to be in the Darwin area.

On Monday, in another statement, police said they found him late on Friday evening in Gray after members of the Crime Unit covertly followed a vehicle through Palmerston.

Mr Wilton said the man was arrested without incident, along with two other men who were also active arrest targets.

Police did not say why his parole was revoked.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story from October 3 said Mr Kernan had not been caught. That was incorrect and the NT Independent apologises for the error.