Court arrest orders for drug accused
Warrants have been issued for the arrest of brothers Ziad and Rabih Jneid who are accused of masterminding a drug syndicate caught importing methylamphetamine valued at $8 million.
The warrants were issued by District Court judge Simon Stone yesterday after applications were made to withdraw the $250,000 surety conditions attached to each of the men's bail.
The brothers' lawyer Shash Nigam confirmed he was in court for the matter but said he could not comment. It is believed the men were last seen on Thursday.
Ziad, 39 and Rabih, 41, were charged in April last year over allegations they were part of a crime syndicate operating in Perth that conspired to import methylamphetamine.
An organised crime squad operation was launched in January after officers from the regional operations group found 2kg of methyl-amphetamine in a car in Kewdale.
In the following weeks, a further 2kg of the drug was seized, with police alleging the drugs were from the same drug syndicate.
Six search warrants executed on Anzac Day last year involving about 70 police officers resulted in the seizure of firearms, ammunition, steroids and more than $380,000.
The brothers told _The West Australian _ after their initial arrest they would fight the charges, which include conspiracy to sell or supply a prohibited drug and supplying a prohibited drug. Ziad Jneid said the case was "police fabrication" and authorities were "trying everything to frame us".
In July the brothers were unsuccessful in their bid to have their bail conditions eased. They had asked that a condition to check in with police three times a week be removed but Justice Rene Le Miere said the condition was neither unreasonable nor oppressive.
Ziad Jneid applied again in October to reduce his thrice-weekly reporting conditions to once a week but was again refused.
The Jneid brothers have extensive business interests, including construction and property development. Two years ago, Ziad Jneid successfully challenged a $27 million bill from the Australian Taxation Office.
He has previously lodged complaints with the Corruption and Crime Commission against WA detectives.
