http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,4990987%255E2862,0... 2b drug case shock By ELISSA HUNT, Magistrates' Court reporter 29aug02 CHARGES against a man accused of a $2 billion drug conspiracy have been dropped. And the case against the man's brother, accused drug baron Antonios Mokbel, was yesterday put off indefinitely because of a drug squad corruption probe. Prosecutors told a court they did not know when the investigation by police ethical standards officers would finish -- or how it might affect the case. The admission paves the way for millionaire businessman Mr Mokbel to make another bid for release on bail. He is facing 18 state charges over an alleged drug syndicate worth $2 billion, and a Commonwealth case relating to cocaine importation. On August 9, Supreme Court Justice Murray Kellam refused him bail on the grounds that he posed a risk of fleeing, committing more offences, interfering with witnesses or obstructing the course of justice. But the judge raised concerns about the delay in the preliminary hearings of the two cases, which were planned for October 16 and November 25. He said the public would not tolerate the indefinite detention of suspects. Justice Kellam granted Mr Mokbel permission to apply again if the Commonwealth prosecution was unable to go ahead on the scheduled date. Yesterday the Melbourne Magistrates' Court was told neither the Commonwealth nor state cases could go ahead because of the corruption probe. Mr Mokbel, 37, was arrested on August 24 last year in Victoria's biggest drug sting. His brother, Milad Mokbel, 34, of Brunswick, was arrested in November and charged with possessing, trafficking and conspiring to traffic ephedrine. Milad Mokbel's bail application at Melbourne Magistrates' Court was told there was evidence linking him to a 550kg shipment of ephedrine. It was alleged that his fingerprints had been found on a shipping document detailing the movements of the container of ephedrine, and he had been mentioned in recorded conversations between co-accused. Milad Mokbel was released on bail last November with a $100,000 surety. Yesterday the three drugs charges against him were withdrawn during an administrative hearing before magistrate Phillip Goldberg. A spokesman for the state Director of Public Prosecutions last night said the ESD investigation was not related to the charges being withdrawn. The case against Milad Mokbel could not proceed because there was insufficient evidence, he said.