Accused tobacco wars ‘ringleader’ Majid Alibadi granted bail

An alleged “ringleader” involved in Victoria’s tobacco wars has been granted bail, despite police fears the “loyal lieutenant” will continue to follow orders from an exiled crime kingpin.

Majid Alibadi has been granted bail despite fierce opposition from Victoria Police.

An alleged “ringleader” from one of the criminal syndicates at the centre of Victoria’s tobacco wars has been granted bail, despite police fears the loyal “lieutenant” will continue to follow orders from exiled crime kingpin Kazem Hamad.

Majid Alibadi, 25, grinned and waved at his loved ones in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday after he learnt his bid for freedom had been successful.

The Epping man has been charged with more than a dozen offences, including arson and extortion, by Lunar Taskforce detectives investigating a wave of firebombings across the state.

He has been charged over two blazes at Karizma restaurant in Docklands on November 18 and 20, as well as fires at a Glenroy tobacco store on October 9 and Melrose Events reception centre in Tullamarine on December 8.

Mr Alibadi has been charged with more than a dozen offences, including arson and extortio

Detective Leading Senior Constable Matthew Lindsay from the Lunar Taskforce told the court last week, when the bail application began, that he fiercely opposed Mr Alibadi being released from custody.

He said Mr Alibadi had been in “personal contact” with Mr Hamad, who police believe has been running a major Middle Eastern organised crime gang from overseas.

Constable Lindsay added that Mr Alibadi flew first class last year with Mr Hamad’s brother, Maytham, to Dubai and Iraq where Mr Hamad is believed to have been.

“My belief is that, in corporate terms, Mr Alibadi would be best described as the regional operations manager for the Hamad syndicate within Victoria,” he said.

“He takes instructions from senior members of that syndicate … then passes on those instructions to persons who are underneath within the syndicate.”

Kazem Hamad (left) at the footy with Toby Mitchell and senior Mongol bikie Tyrone Bell prior to being deported. Picture: Instagram

He told the court Mr Alibadi was not “physically present” when the four fires were allegedly lit, however he accused him of “arranging” the arson attacks, including by filling up jerry cans and sourcing stolen vehicles.

The court heard the businesses allegedly targeted by Mr Alibadi are either owned by or linked to a rival criminal syndicate run by the Haddara family, which is one of the largest operators in Victoria’s illicit tobacco market.

But on Monday, Mr Alibadi’s defence barrister Dermot Dann, KC, said his client would plead not guilty to the charges, arguing the prosecution case against his client was “weak” and “problematic”.

“We don’t know and can’t be told what the evidence amounts to,” he said.

The court heard the majority of the evidence had been obtained via covert surveillance, however the nature of that evidence had not been outlined.

Magistrate Michael Smith told prosecutor Michael Kats it was difficult to assess Mr Alibadi’s risk of committing further offences without knowing how it is alleged he facilitated the arsons.

“We don’t know anything about how they were done,” Mr Smith said.

“How it was done is relevant to the risk of whether it will be done again.”

Police believe Kazem Hamad (left) has been running a major Middle Eastern organised crime gang from overseas. Picture: Supplied

Constable Lindsay told the court if Mr Alibadi was granted bail, there was a risk he would influence witnesses for the prosecution, if he did not flee the country.

“We would be providing them with a valued lieutenant of the Hamad syndicate back out to carry out (Mr Hamad’s) will,” he said.

Mr Kats added that if Mr Alibadi was released, there would be “yet another servant to carry out those threats to witnesses”.

However, Mr Smith said he believed it was unlikely he would pick up “where he left off” and risk breaching his bail.

“He would be a very stupid man to do it, wouldn’t he?” he said.

Magistrate Michael Smith ordered Mr Alibadi to surrender his passport, report to Epping police station three times a week and abide by a curfew.

He was also ordered not to contact Mr Hamad and his brother, Maytham.

Mr Alibadi, who appeared via video link from prison where he has been held in 23-hour lockdown due to “fears for his safety”, said he understood the conditions of his bail, which was secured by a surety of $150,000.

He must also comply with all conditions of the rehabilitation facility that Mr Dann argued he should attend.

A lead facilitator from the facility, who has assessed the accused, told the court Mr Alibadi said he was “furiously using meth” prior to his arrest on January 31.

The court heard the facility operates under a “zero tolerance” policy and would alert authorities to any breaches of bail.

The Glenroy tobacco store was targeted on October 9. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Constable Lindsay told the court last week that police believe several members of the Haddara family are at risk of “being killed” by members of the Hamad syndicate.

He referenced an alleged phone call between Mr Hamad and a member of the Haddara family in early February in which Mr Hamad, speaking Arabic, threatened to kill the man if he did not withdraw his statement to police relating to alleged arson attacks against his businesses.

However, this was not the first time police allege Mr Hamad threatened the man.

Constable Lindsay said Mr Alibadi was captured on CCTV footage at the Glenroy tobacco store in September last year holding up a phone to the man’s face and uttering: “Speak to my friend.”

It is alleged Mr Alibadi assisted Mr Hamad on that occasion who demanded over a FaceTime call, from thousands of kilometres away, that the man pay $2000 per month or his store would be damaged.

“We believe it would be impossible for an offshore offender to conduct his criminal activity within Australia without onshore facilitators,” Constable Lindsay said.

Mr Alibadi will return to court on May 13 for a committal mention.