Alleged drug trafficker Al Mussa denied bail in ACT Magistrates Court

Al Ahmad Mussa, 38, on Friday faced the ACT Magistrates Court charged with two counts of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug and one count of participating in a criminal group.

The Canberran, who has previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, was denied bail after a court heard he could be connected to criminal networks in Lebanon and Turkey.

The man said to be Mussa's co-offender, Andrew James O'Keefe, 33, was on Tuesday granted bail after police found what they alleged to be four or five kilograms of methamphetamine, encrypted mobile devices and approximately 500 grams of boric acid, a known cutting agent, in his vehicle.

The drugs, which were destined for the ACT, were allegedly hidden in a "large, sophisticated hydraulic concealment area" within O'Keefe's Ford Transit.

Police claim to have also found the hiding system in a trailer owned by Mussa.

Police last week estimated the street value of the methamphetamine to be $3.5 million but a court heard Friday the alleged haul was worth something closer to $750,000.

As well as his alleged connection to the methamphetamine, which the court heard was being driven to Mussa before police interception, Mussa was charged in relation to over three kilograms of cocaine.

Police allege CCTV from his family business in Fyshwick, One Stop Tyre and Auto, shows him and O'Keefe cutting up and packaging the cocaine.

They are then said to place that cocaine in Mussa's trailer.

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The video footage dates allegedly correspond with images of cocaine located on O'Keefe's phone.

Prosecutor Christina Muthurajah opposed Mussa's bail application based on the likelihood of him committing crimes, interfering with evidence and not appearing in court.

As a prosecutor had argued during O'Keefe's first bail application last week, the court on Friday heard police held concerns about Mussa's safety or potential to illegally pay back losses after the alleged drugs were seized.

"There's money obviously owing," a senior constable with the drugs and organised crime team said while giving evidence.

"We do hold concerns [the alleged co-offenders] will need to make up the funds that were lost."

The investigator also said police were yet to identify all people involved in the "extensive criminal network".

Defence barrister Kieren Ginges put forward 14 proposed bail conditions for his client and said the man's employee was willing to put up a $10,000 surety to ameliorate any "flight risk".

Mr Ginges also raised what he described as an issue of "parity" and "equal justice" after O'Keefe was granted bail relating to the same alleged offending.

In his cross-examination of the investigator, the barrister strongly questioned police intelligence on his client, including authorities believing Mussa grew up in Lebanon, when the man was "born and bred" in Canberra.

He also said some of their information predated at least a decade, including the man doing security work for a number of establishments that included brothels.

Mr Ginges asked the senior constable if noting the man's occupation as "brothel security" in a court document was intended to "create a smear in his bail application".

"You're doing everything you can to prevent my client being released on bail, thank you officer," he said.

The court heard there was no intelligence suggesting Mussa, who Mr Ginges described as having a "pretty negligible" criminal history, would be in danger if released on bail.

Despite these submissions, magistrate Robert Cook denied the man's bail.

"The risk is too big for you to be released out in the community at this early stage of the investigation," Mr Cook said.

Mussa is set to return to court on August 16.

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