Notorious high-profile former fugitive, wealthy restaurateur and alleged drug lord Mostafa Baluch has been hit with three fresh charges.
The 34-year-old Sydneysider’s case was mentioned briefly on Thursday in Central Local Court where details of the new charges were revealed.
The court was told the new charges laid against Mr Baluch, the former owner of Cervo in Northbridge on Sydney’s lower north shore, included attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice.
He has also been charged with the telecommunications offence of using equipment connected to a network to commit a serious offence and dealing with suspected proceeds of an indictable crime worth less than $100,000.
The fresh charges came in addition to a string of previously laid drug charges after police alleged Mr Baluch was a driving force behind an attempt to import 900kg of cocaine into Australia that had a streetxjmtzyw value of $270m.
Mr Baluch has entered no pleas to any charges and remains remanded in custody after his dramatic arrest at the NSW-Queensland border in November.
After he fled NSW authorities while on bail and allegedly cut off an ankle bracelet tracking device, Mr Baluch triggered a 16-day manhunt and was caught hiding in the back of a Mercedes parked in a shipping container on the back of a truck bound for Queensland.
Police alleged Mr Baluch spent most of his time on the run in Sydney, hatching plans to escape, including by sailing away from Wollongong or sailing to Thailand from Queensland before fleeing to the Balkans area of Europe.
