By Cam Lucadou-Wells and Tara Cosoleto, Aap
One of the men who allegedly bound, gagged and threatened a store owner at knifepoint in a $1.9 million jewellery heist in Dandenong has claimed to be the victim’s long-term friend.
Kamran Orouji, 66, of Doncaster, and Masoud Izadi, 60, of Pakenham, faced at separate hearings in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2 February on charges including armed robbery, false imprisonment and assault.
Senior Constable Tom Ballintyne, of Greater Dandenong CIU, told Orouji’s bail hearing that shortly before the alleged robbery on 29 December, the pair drove in Orouji’s daughter’s silver Camry to Bunnings in Dandenong South.
There, Orouji allegedly bought cable-ties, a cap, high-vis T-shirt, wrecking bar and masking tape.
They parked on McCrae Street, walked into Dandenong’s CBD and entered the rear yard of Zara Jewellers about 6pm, Sen Const Ballintyne said.
The detective told the court that the alleged robbers grabbed the owner as he emerged from a toilet at the rear. Then he was “frog-marched” into the back door.
Orouji allegedly held a knife to the owner’s throat and threatened “I’ll cut you” unless provided with the PIN for a safe, the detective told the court.
The intruders plundered 17 kilograms of gold worth $1.792 million and $140,000 cash, smashed the store’s CCTV cameras and stole the CCTV hard drive, he said.
The owner was allegedly bound and gagged and left in a side room.
Orouji and Izadi fled with the loot in the owner’s Range Rover, which was later found abandoned 800 metres away in Wedge Street, the court heard.
They then allegedly drove away in the daughter’s Camry south down Foster Street, crossing Princes Highway and Thomas Street.
They were arrested in simultaneous raids on the accuseds’ homes on 1 February – a day after police made a public appeal for information.
None of the gold has been recovered, despite five raids by police on 1 February, Sen Const Ballintyne said.
As part of a “complex case”, Sen Const Ballintyne said he had never had more CCTV footage to go through “in my life”.
Telephone intercepts of the accused pair speaking in a “foreign language” were yet to be transcribed.
The “traumatised” store owner hadn’t reopened the business since the “brazen” offending, the detective said.
According to a defence lawyer, Orouji had been friends with the victim for 15 years.
The victim’s name was found among Orouji’s phone contacts, though no communications between the pair had yet been found, Sen Const Ballintyne said.
The defence lawyer questioned why the victim didn’t identify his assailant as Orouji, who was described as wearing sunglasses at the time.
Sen Const Ballintyne said both accused men were also seen on CCTV footage walking to the scene wearing Covid face masks.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett said identification of the accused and the victim’s credibility were “triable” issues. She also noted the “strong” prosecution case and “serious” alleged offending.
Ms Hartnett released Orouji on bail due to “compelling reasons”, namely to care for his wife in “dire” health.
According to a defence lawyer, Orouji’s wife was stricken with cancer and paralysed. She was admitted to hospital as a result of stress from Orouji’s arrest.
Sen Const Ballintyne observed she was “close to the end of her life”.
On bail, Orouji is subject to a night curfew, must surrender his passport and can’t contact the victim or co-accused Izadi.
“I don’t leave Doncaster until the investigation is finished,” Orouji told the court.
He will appear at a committal case conference at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 8 June.
In a separate hearing, Izadi did not apply for bail.
He was charged with armed robbery, assault, false imprisonment, destroying the store’s CCTV and dealing with $3500 cash suspected to be proceeds of crime.
His lawyer told magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg it was the 60-year-old’s first time in custody and he needed treatment for a broken left wrist and injured knee.
Izadi was remanded in custody ahead of a committal mention hearing in April.
A 38-year-old man from Narre Warren was also arrested on 1 February and charged with trafficking methamphetamine.
