Fadi Ibrahim pleads guilty to charge of possessing suspected proceeds of crime days before trial
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Fadi Ibrahim pleads guilty days before trial for involvement in international tobacco smuggling syndicate
- Fadi Ibrahim pleaded guilty to possession of suspected crime proceeds
- He was due to appear in court next week, but it will now go to a hearing
- Ibrahim was arrested in Dubai in 2017 as part of Operation Veyda
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Sydney Identity Fadi Ibrahim has pleaded guilty on the eve of his trial for his involvement in an international tobacco smuggling syndicate.
Ibrahim was detained in Dubai in 2017 during a series of coordinated arrests in Sydney, Dubai and the Netherlands in two interconnected crime syndicates.
Although Ibrahim was never charged with importing drugs or tobacco, he allegedly handed another brother $800,000 to fund a tobacco import deal.
He is said to be doubling his money.
Fadi Ibrahim pleaded guilty on the eve of his trial for his involvement in an international tobacco smuggling syndicate
Ibrahim also pleaded guilty to dealing with property worth more than $100,000 suspected of proceeds of crime and he will face a hearing on Feb. 23.
The other brother – Moustafa ‘Michael’ Ibrahim – was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in tobacco smuggling and conspiracy to import nearly two tons of illegal drugs.
Fadi Ibrahim, now 48, was due to face trial next week, but on Wednesday he pleaded guilty to dealing with property worth more than $100,000 that was reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
He risks jail time, a fine, or both.
The exact value of the property must be determined.
Although Ibrahim was never charged with importing drugs or tobacco, he allegedly handed another brother $800,000 to fund a tobacco import deal.
Previous charges of dealing more than $1 million in crime proceeds and intending to use more than $100,000 as a crime tool have been dismissed.
A magistrate was told in 2017 that Ibrahim had alleged that he had simply given his brother Moustafa a loan, but police said he was an “active investor”.
Ibrahim spent seven weeks in custody in Dubai and Sydney before collecting $2.2 million in bail. He also spent three months under house arrest and more time under night curfew conditions.
He will appear in court on February 23.
He is the last of 19 Australians arrested during Operation Veyda and yet to appear in court.
Federal police say the operation sent more than 1.9 tons of narcotics onto Australian streets.