Joel A Batour-Pullin, Nassim Eid await co-accused men in alleged home invasion
Seven men have been charged over their alleged involvement in an abduction regarding a debt of about $2.5m.
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A group of men with alleged links to outlaw criminal networks are accused of holding a Queensland man and his partner against their will after they lost up to $2.5m in an investment scheme.
Joel A Batour-Pullin and Nassim Eid had their matters mentioned in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday, June 9.
The pair was charged after their alleged involvement in kidnapping a man on the Sunshine Coast in an attempt to retrieve a $2.4m debt on April 10.
Both men were charged with deprivation of liberty and extortion with the aggravating factor of serious organised crime, and Mr Batour-Pullin faces an additional charge of contravening an order to unlock his phone.
The pair has not entered pleas.
It has previously been alleged by police the two men flew to the Sunshine Coast under false names to retrieve the debt, relating to a gambling application, owed to a New South Wales organised crime syndicate.
Police prosecutor Tara Miles told the Maroochydore court on Monday she had spoken “in depth” with the investigating officer, who was in the process of putting together a brief of evidence.
The court was told an additional five people who were allegedly involved had fled to NSW and went into hiding, but had been extradited to Queensland last week, with the last arriving on Monday morning.
Anthony Khalil, Aaron John McCann, Omar Mohmed Ahmed Hassan and Nezar Manly were extradited from New South Wales on charges of deprivation of liberty and extortion.
The four men faced Brisbane Arrests Court on Monday where they were all released on bail with strict conditions.
During the bail applications, the court was told the defendants had invested about $2.5m with the complainant and claimed he owed them a debt.
The court was told the men flew into Queensland from New South Wales between four and five days prior to the incident and surveilled the complainant at a tavern on the Sunshine Coast.
Magistrate Lewis Shillito said the group’s plan had “some degree of sophistication”, noting GPS tracking devices were also bought but not used.
The four men were allegedly among several who then attended the complainant’s house on the night of April 10 and threatened him and his partner.
The court was told the men forced the complainant into a vehicle which was then driven by his girlfriend to another address.
Mr Shillito said the complainant then made about 20 phone calls to people to try and get the money to pay the men back as the men allegedly threatened him should he not make good of the alleged debt.
The court heard police made allegations the men had links to outlaw criminal networks in NSW, and an outlaw motorcycle gang in Queensland.
Police will allege some men left the unit a short time later. It is alleged Mr Eid and Mr Batour-Pullin were arrested at the unit.
Following information received as part of extensive investigations under Operation Xray Zale, detectives from the Sunshine Coast District Crime Group travelled to Sydney last week to seek the extradition of the men.
All four men were granted bail with strict conditions, including reporting conditions and sureties which varied from $20,000 to $50,000.
In Maroochydore, Senior Constable Miles told the court there were about 35 witnesses to the alleged incident, alongside CCTV footage.
The court heard Mr Eid and Mr Batour-Pullin had received Supreme Court bail since their last bail applications in Maroochydore Magistrates Court were denied about a month ago.
All of the men are due to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on August 4.
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Originally published as Joel A Batour-Pullin, Nassim Eid await co-accused men in alleged home invasion
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