A Perth man police allege has organised crime links to Victoria and the Middle East, thought to be part of an illegal tobacco business, was released to home detention on Friday, as details of his alleged involvement were revealed.
Maytham Hamad, 29, the brother of Melbourne’s Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, who is believed to be a ruthless organised-crime kingpin, was arrested two weeks ago in a joint investigation by West Australian and Victorian police and the Australian Border Force after they tapped his phone and allegedly intercepted $270,000 in dirty cash.
Maytham Hamad.Credit: Nine News Perth
Appearing in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday via video link from Hakea Prison, Hamad’s lawyer Seamus Rafferty appealed to Magistrate Tanya Watt that his client should be released on strict home detention because his alleged involvement in the alleged business was minimal.
He also told the court Hamad would be pleading not guilty to the charge of money laundering, a charge it was revealed related to $270,000 of cash police intercepted in a parcel Hamad allegedly sent to “a close relative” in Victoria.
The court heard police initially intercepted a phone call on April 25 that led them to examine the parcel.
In pleading his case for bail, Rafferty also told the court on Friday his client was forthcoming with information about prior charges for murder, that were later dropped and replaced with accessory in terms of causing injury, for which the court heard he served a 2½ year prison term.
Hamad is believed to have moved to Perth from Melbourne upon his release.
He is now married and expecting his first child, but the court heard he could soon be homeless after his landlord was made aware of a police presence at his Perth rental property.
State prosecutors opposed bail for Hamad, claiming his strong links to the Middle East and Melbourne made him a flight risk and that he could get access to fake documentation allowing him to leave the country.
Read the full article here
