QLD: Three men face court over alleged cartel bust

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2004
QLD: Three men face court over alleged cartel bust

Three men have faced a Brisbane court accused of involvement in an international drug cartel.

Forty-year-old MORTEZA KASHANI-MALAKI, 24-year-old RAID MANSOUR SLIVO and 31-year-old
SAMAN OMER-NOORI were among nine people arrested in raids across Brisbane yesterday.

All three men applied for bail but only OMER-NOORI was successful after his lawyer
JIM COBURN argued the evidence against him was scant.

The case has been adjourned until August the 9th for a committal mention, with prosecutors
saying between 30,000 and 50,000 intercepted phone calls need transcribing and translation.

Officers from Queensland police and the Australia Crime Commission raided 21 businesses
and private homes, laying 27 charges against the alleged syndicate members.

More than $5.8 million in assets was seized in the raids which also allegedly found
large quantities of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines.

AAP RTV ap/ch/rp

KEYWORD: MALAKI (BRISBANE)

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