A bikie boss has been released from custody just a few hours after ACT police trumpeted his arrest by warning that membership of romanticised gangs was "merely a ticket to prison".
Canberra Comanchero commander Khaled Khoder was granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, despite a detective expressing concerns the 30-year-old might skip the country to link up with international drug lords.
Khoder, who was arrested at Melbourne Airport last Thursday night, has been charged with trafficking in methylamphetamine between April 2 and May 2. He has not entered a plea.
While the allegation relates to evidence detectives claim to have obtained by intercepting phone calls between Khoder and another alleged drug trafficker, Alexander Cameron, police say further charges are likely to be laid over items found in an April 30 search.
In a statement, ACT Policing said investigators had discovered about 700 grams of methylamphetamine, roughly $40,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, a handgun and ammunition at the bikie boss' home in Coombs.
Detective Senior Constable Damien Clark conceded in court, however, that some of these items were found in common areas of the complex where Khoder lived rather than in his unit.
From the witness stand, the detective said police feared Khoder would, if granted bail, disappear overseas to join criminal connections.
He named the likes of Khoder's cousin, Masoud Omari, who is suspected of having masterminded a drug importation, and exiled Comanchero boss Mark Buddle.
Detective Senior Constable Clark noted that Khoder had been arrested at an airport, and said police had evidence the 30-year-old had been planning trips to Lebanon and Thailand.
But Khoder's lawyer, Luke Vozella, told the court the 30-year-old had been arrested after flying into Melbourne to celebrate the birth of a friend's child.
"He wasn't making a mad dash to Thailand to be reunited with some international overlords," Mr Vozella said.
Mr Vozella also drew attention to the locations of some of the unit block discoveries, which the court heard had included electricity boxes, as he argued the case against his client was not overwhelmingly strong and the illegal items may have belonged to others.
He proposed a raft of strict bail conditions and also complained that since Khoder was arrested last Thursday, the 30-year-old had "not been afforded the opportunity for hygienic cleaning of himself".
Prosecutor Beth Morrisroe opposed bail, highlighting Detective Senior Constable Clark's evidence and Khoder's "significant criminal history" as she argued the bikie boss was likely to flee.
Ms Morrisroe said Khoder had previously served jail time for drug trafficking, and another conviction would bring with it "the absolute inevitability of a prison sentence".
Magistrate Louise Taylor ultimately decided bail conditions could ameliorate the risk of flight, releasing Khoder on terms that include a ban on him contacting any Comanchero gangsters.
Khoder must also live at a Bonner address and report to Gungahlin Police Station twice each day, while his mother and partner have agreed to forfeit $10,000 each should he fail to appear as required in the future.
He is due to front court again on June 7.
Prior to Khoder appearing in court, Detective Inspector Mark Steel described the Comancheros as "a gang in decline".
"Anyone with any control over the group is either in prison, has fled overseas or has left the gang," the senior ACT Policing investigator said on Monday morning.
"The romantic view of a lifelong brotherhood has been overtaken by greed and infighting within the remaining members of the Comancheros.
"We are also pleased to see that the gang is struggling to continue to recruit new members, as potential nominees see that the Comancheros are no longer a well-organised gang, but merely a ticket to prison."
