"A suspect in a high-profile drug case has turned supergrass by agreeing to give evidence against fugitive drug baron Tony Mokbel and his brother Milad.
Milad Mokbel, 38, of suburban Brunswick, faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court today on charges including trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine and possessing methylamphetamine.
Tony Mokbel disappeared towards the end of his Supreme Court trial in March."
Right.
So go on, ask the inevitable question
WHAT ABOUT BAIL?:
"(I have) no doubt in my mind whatsoever he would be well aware of exactly how Tony Mokbel facilitated his escape and have access to the same identical provisions," Sen Det Rowe said.
Milad Mokbel's barrister Robert Richter, QC, told the court his client's incarceration had caused severe hardship for his wife and three children.
He said it may take more than two years before his client was dealt with by the court and evidence about the future charge was a moot point in this case.
He also said Milad Mokbel's mother was willing to provide her house as surety.
Magistrate Donna Bakos remanded Milad Mokbel into custody and adjourned his bail hearing until tomorrow.
Singing: "Once bitten twice shy babe.."
Gotta laugh at his mother putting up her house!
ANOTHER HOUSE!!! MARVELLOUSLY FUNNY!!
hehe they're falling like ninepins. When reading the article I wondered when they'd mention the issue of bail for the other brother. Because of fat Tone's runner, does the court have the right to use this in his brother's case? It probably does.
ReplyDeleteI see the boys' mother has offered to put up her house as surety for milad. Shit, before this is over the entire Mokbel family will be living in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere
man i read some where the lab they found was able to produce 200kg of speed. fucken hell thats a fair bit of cash for old milad.
ReplyDeleteMokbel demands 'funds for deals'Carly Crawford
ReplyDeleteAugust 20, 2006 12:00am
Sunday Herald Sun
Exclusive: FUGITIVE drug lord Tony Mokbel is said to have toured the millionaire playgrounds of the Mediterranean during his global flight from authorities.
Underworld sources claim the drug baron fled Beirut for an island-hopping trip around the region.
It is claimed he has visited Cyprus, Turkey and Sardinia.
A business associate of Mokbel said he learned the details of the fugitive's suspected movements during his own search for Mokbel.
The source says Mokbel is using agents in Melbourne to demand money from former associates.
But like police, the associate does not know Mokbel's current whereabouts. All he has heard is that Mokbel has been living in luxury on the Mediterranean.
"He is living a good lifestyle," the source said.
Australian Federal Police refused to comment on the claims, saying Mokbel's whereabouts remain unknown.
His girlfriend, Danielle Maguire, recently left for Europe and has maintained she has no knowledge of Mokbel's location.
A court this month heard that Ms Maguire, the last person to see Mokbel, sent $272,000 offshore in the 18 months before Mokbel left.
The associate said Mokbel was demanding cash to fund more property ventures abroad.
He produced what he said was an email from Mokbel's contacts seeking cash for development deals.
"Our friend from Lebanon is requesting that you supply some of the investment you have committed to him," it says.
It talks of a "Malta deal", a "commitment" in Mexico and apparent plans to invest in a Lebanese marina development.
"He is in a difficult situation because personal contact is not possible, but he wishes to remind his business associates he has long arms and many friends."
Mokbel is known in the underworld as "The Octopus".
The Arabic-speaking fugitive fled Australia in March while on trial for importing 2kg of cocaine from Mexico in 2000.
Mokbel, who remained on bail during the trial, vanished after learning he might be charged with underworld murders. He was sentenced in his absence two weeks later, receiving 12 years' jail, with a minimum of nine years.
He is listed with Interpol as a fugitive and his departure prompted a court to have his sister's $1 million mansion -- his bail surety -- forfeited.
Renate Mokbel wants the decision overturned, claiming its forfeiture would cause financial hardship.
Police believe he moved $20 million offshore ahead of his escape.
Mokbel's escape plan was reportedly bought from slain gangland figure Lewis Moran, though his precise method of escape is the subject of speculation.
One theory is that he left Essendon Airport on a light aircraft for the remote far north of Queensland. From there, a boat ferried him to Malaysia where, using fake documents, he boarded a plane for Turkey.
Another tip-off had him lying low in a Gippsland farmhouse for up to a fortnight before he left the country.
The business associate has a different idea. He believes Mokbel fled Australia via Perth, dressed as a Maronite priest, and arrived in Lebanon via Johannesberg.
He believes Mokbel has gained weight and poses as a tourist. Mokbel has previously claimed a ruthless band of Mexican drug runners were tracking him in the Middle East.
So whose house was raided in Parkdale?....they found $1m in cash and jewellery and confiscated a slick black Mercedes registered to Milad Mokbel.
ReplyDeleteits one of Renatas girlsfriends house, which was a stash house. Milad used it to bury surplus backup cash and jewels....
ReplyDeletePolice say find is blow to fugitive drugs bossMark Buttler
ReplyDeleteSeptember 06, 2006 12:00am
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GANGLAND detectives have dug up cash and jewellery worth more than $1 million in what they believe is a blow against the crime empire of Tony Mokbel.
Police suspect the huge seizure, buried at a home in Melbourne's southeast, is linked to the fugitive drug baron and other crime figures.
Officers digging by hand and using an excavator found the booty buried in bags and plastic pipes at the rear of the Alma Rd, Parkdale, property.
Purana Taskforce detectives later walked from the premises with plastic bags packed with banknotes in large denominations.
A piece of jewellery believed to be worth up to $50,000 was one of 100 items found during the search, which began when police officers swooped before dawn yesterday.
A black, late-model Mercedes-Benz belonging to one of Mokbel's relatives was also seized and carted away on a tray truck.
The luxury vehicle is now subject of a restraining order.
A number of old front-page newspaper stories on the activities of Tony Mokbel were also found at the property.
Stunned neighbours looked on unable to believe organised crime investigators had zeroed in on their street.
Det-Supt Richard Grant said the raid's success had been an important step for the Purana Taskforce.
"We see this as a significant milestone in this long and protracted investigation," Det-Supt Grant said.
He said the containers located were found buried at various depths and it was too early to say how long they had been underground.
Det-Supt Grant said the find would greatly reduce the ability of certain figures to be involved in crime.
He said detectives now had the job of linking the seized property to Purana targets.
Tony Mokbel fled Australia in March during his trial for importing 2kg of cocaine from Mexico in 2000.
The multi-millionaire, who was on bail, vanished after being told he was under investigation over several underworld murders.
Mokbel was later sentenced in his absence to a minimum of nine years in jail.
Interpol has him listed as a fugitive.
A man identified as Garry Gibbs left the Alma Rd house with police and yesterday spoke with them elsewhere.
Mr Gibbs, 49, works in the mail room of the Herald and Weekly Times.
Police said last night investigations were continuing.
A neighbour of the Gibbs family, who have their house on the market, said they were no trouble and there were no signs of criminal activity or undesirable visitors.
"They're quite nice people. They're pretty normal legal people," the neighbour said.
looks like milad losing out a bit. i wounder which other stash houses they know about
ReplyDelete