Prominent Melbourne barrister Anthony Grant charged with drug trafficking

A Melbourne barrister and former state prosecutor has been charged with drug trafficking and held in custody after a raid on Queens Rd property.

Anthony Grant has been hit with 13 charges. Picture: Stock image

A Melbourne barrister and former state prosecutor has been charged with drug trafficking.

The lawyer, Anthony Grant, has been remanded after being charged in the aftermath of a police raid on a property in Queens Rd, Melbourne last Thursday.

Mr Grant has been hit with 13 charges after he was arrested allegedly in possession of an array of drugs and an erectile dysfunction medicine on August 8.

Among the most serious charges the 44-year-old faces are trafficking a commercial quantity of 1,4 Butanediol – used as a source for GHB – and trafficking ketamine.

Other drug charges include possessing a poison without authority, being the erectile dysfunction medicine Sildenafil, possessing hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamines, ketamine and 1,4 Butanediol.

Mr Grant also faces dishonesty charges of possessing “identification information” or cards in the name of another person with the intention of committing an offence, dishonestly receiving a stolen debit card and failing to comply with a police direction.

The charges were laid by Prahran CIU officers last Thursday.

Mr Grant faced a hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, which was heard in closed court.

He was held in custody and will return to court on November 1.

A Victoria Police statement said a 34-year-old woman had been charged with three counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs, three counts of possessing illicit drugs, possessing hallucinogenics, possessing a schedule 4 poison, handling stolen goods and possessing ID information.

She had also been remanded in custody and will appear alongside Mr Grant on the same date.

Mr Grant is a former lawyer with the Office of Public Prosecutions who in 2014 won a Federal Circuit Court battle over his sacking, claiming it came about because of mental illness.

The court ordered he be reinstated and paid $93,750 in compensation.

The Full Federal Court later overturned the decision.