Accused mass drug importer Liam Moody asks to be released from jail, citing ‘situational’ depression

Altona man Liam Moody is facing the prospect of life behind bars on but asked a magistrate to release him from jail because of his crippling depression.

Altona man Liam Moody, 37, was charged over a mass drug importation after an AFP raid in Lara on July 11. Picture: Instagram

An accused mass drug importer who faces the prospect of life behind bars is so depressed at being arrested that he’s asked a magistrate to release him from jail.

Liam Thomas Moody, 37, was allegedly seen unloading 80kg of ketamine from a Budget truck at a Lara property last month, where eskies with a further 80kg of the drug were found buried in the backyard.

AFP labelled the haul the “largest seizure of ketamine” that Australia had ever seen, with a street value of more than $6m.

The Altona man, facing six charges that carry life imprisonment, applied for bail arguing that his “situational” depression was so bad he couldn’t give instructions to his lawyers.

Moody’s entire family has been embroiled in the saga, with his father Allan last week appearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to offer a $290k surety from their home to get his boy out of prison.

It wasn’t the first time Allan Moody attended court for his son, Liam.

In 2015, Allan punched a TV reporter in the head who was covering another case Liam was involved in.

Liam now faces importation and possession charges over a complex drug syndicate that police believe “piggybacked” off a legitimate construction company to get cement shipped from overseas with ketamine hidden inside.

Seizures made by AFP in Operation Woodgate, the largest ketamine haul Australia has ever seen. Picture: AFP

Following a month of surveillance, AFP raided a Lara property on July 11 where they arrested three men – Moody, Kristian Leivers and James Wojniusz – who were seen unpacking a truck of cement pallets that contained 40 drug buckets.

Two weeks earlier, police had intercepted the near 8000kg ready-to-use cement consignment shipped from Spain and replaced the 40 buckets of ketamine – weighing 80kg – with another substance.

At the Lara property, police found the fake ketamine buckets had been pulled from the cement, with two large eskies buried in the backyard containing suspected drugs.

A further 14kg of cocaine was found in a Yarraville Storage King unit leased by Moody’s younger brother Jordan, who was living in Germany, while in a Jim’s Storage unit in Williamstown there was 25kg of MDMA, $224k in cash and two gel blaster firearms.

Drugs found by police included 160kg ketamine, 14kg cocaine and 25kg MDMA as well as two gel blaster guns and $224k in cash. Picture: AFP

Officers had seen Moody “frequently” coming and going from the storage units with suitcases, court documents state.

Meanwhile, police allege that his older brother Christopher Moody, who lives in Indonesia, paid $7650 in taxes for the cement shipment after he received a $7500 transfer from their mum, Kim.

Moody last week asked to be bailed to Harmony House for mental health treatment, with the court hearing his depression condition was “very reactive to his current situation”.

Defence barrister Lee Ristivojevic said it was “not an open and closed” case, with triable issues, and a trial date that was at least two years away.

But barrister Shivani Pillai, for the prosecution, said Moody was an “unacceptable risk” of flight, with brothers living overseas and the know-how to get fake IDs.

A magistrate described Mr Moody’s charges as “extremely serious”. Picture: Instagram

Magistrate Abigail Burchill agreed and refused his bail bid, stating that Moody could get mental health help in custody.

Her Honour told Moody that “even a cog in the wheel” of the alleged syndicate would be up for “lengthy, lengthy imprisonment”.

“The things that you are charged with are serious … the quantities of illicit drugs are enormous,” Her Honour said.

Ms Burchill found that the “extremely serious” nature of the charges was “reason enough to flee”, and with brothers living internationally and a girlfriend who was from overseas, he was an “unacceptable risk that can’t be reduced”.

Mr Wojniusz, 32, from Hoppers Crossing, was granted bail on a single charge of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, while Mr Lievers, 33, from Sunshine North, was refused bail on two charges of importing and attempting to possess.

The trio will return to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention on November 10.