Ezeddinn Minaoui denied home detention for alleged drug syndication charges
A NSW man accused of being a “highly ranked” member of the drug syndicate allegedly headed up by Elie Khoury has faced court following a massive cannabis and cash seizure at Truro.
West & Beaches
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A New South Wales man believed to have links to an SA-based drug syndicate allegedly headed by Elie Khoury has been denied home detention.
Ezeddinn Minaoui, 36, of Chester Hill, appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday via video-link.
Minaoui is charged with participating in a criminal organisation, two counts of knowingly engaging in money laundering and trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
The appearance occurred after forensic evidence linked him to cash and drugs seized by police earlier this year.
On Tuesday November 3, detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch arrested the man in Port Adelaide, as part of the investigation into a criminal syndicate involved in interstate drug trafficking.
It will be alleged the syndicate was trafficking controlled drugs between New South Wales and South Australia.
Prosecutor John Mattner said bail was opposed in all forms.
“He has been charged with being involved in a criminal organisation, along with 12 other individuals,” he said.
“It relates to the trafficking of drugs between SA and NSW.
“The accused hails from NSW, so he doesn’t have SA (criminal) history.”
But, Mr Mattner said Minaoui had previously been convicted on other charges in NSW including supplying cannabis and theft.
Mr Mattner said Minaoui was jointly charged with the syndicate’s alleged leader Elie Khoury and second-in-charge Peter Stevens, who have both appeared before the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
“There are other accused who are yet to go before the court, but they’re believed to be the lower ones in the echelon,” he said.
“It is believed Mr Elie Khoury is the ring leader, Mr Peter Stevens is next in line and this accused is very close to the top of the ranking structure.”
Mr Mattner said there had been over 10,000 telephone intercepts in the police investigation into the group, which started late last year, along with a significant amount of CCTV footage.
Forensic evidence obtained by police allegedly linked Minaoui to 39 kilograms of cannabis and $228,000 in cash seized from a truck at Truro on September 4, which was being driven by his brother Abdul Minaoui.
But defence lawyer argued as Minaoui ran a logistics company, of which his brother was an employee, it stood to reason his fingerprints would be on the truck.
Magistrate Stefan Metanomski said bail of any type would not be appropriate, due to the seriousness of the offending.
Minaoui will next appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on August 19 next year.
