An 18-year-old Greek and another four Greek Australians are among those arrested in operation Ironside in Adelaide.
The baby-faced teenager Apostle Broikos from a respected Greek Australian family in Adelaide, was arrested by South Australian Police as part of the International Law Enforcement Operation Ironside facing serious charges for drug trafficking.
The 18-year-old who was educated at one of Adelaide’s top private schools St Ignatius’ College, is charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug at Yamba, in the eastern Riverland, on May 19, 2021.
He is also charged with manufacturing and trafficking in a controlled drug at Morphett Vale between January 1 and August 19 last year.
The maximum penalty for those charges is a fine of up to $1 million, life imprisonment or both.
His co-accused on several of the charges include Comanchero bikie boss Cain Robert Dalwood, as well as one of Dalwood’s right-hand men, both of whom are charged with conspiracy to murder over an alleged Norwood assassination plot.
Alongside his 45-year-old uncle Theodore Tasman Broikos, from Wattle Park, Apostle Broikos appeared in a bumper session in the Adelaide Magistrates Court last Thursday where he was remanded in custody despite his lawyer highlighting his age.
Broikos graduated from St Ignatius in 2020 and appears in several of the school’s sports reports documenting his time playing in the first XI soccer team.
The 18-year-old and many of his co-accused will appear again in court on July 1, when many of the state’s criminal lawyers are expected to ask for bail on behalf of their clients.
“We are still in so much disbelief. We know the family and their two children, and they are wonderful hard-working people that have never been known to create problems within the community. We never thought that Apostle would be involved in something like this. I think the whole Greek Australian community is still in shock,” a Greek Australian source who wished to remain anonymous told Neos Kosmos.
Theodore Tasman Broikos has been charged with possessing illegal firearms, ammunition and silencers as well as trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
So far 95 South Australians have been arrested in the major police sting Operation Ironside. Of those, 48 were arrested on Monday when police blew the operation wide open in a series of 5.30am raids across Adelaide. The accused are facing charges ranging from conspiracy to murder and drug trafficking, to money laundering and participating in a criminal organisation.
The list is long and sadly another three Greek Australians have been identified and arrested during the operation.
Luke Kokotis aged 44 from Hackham has been charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
Issa Boulos aged 35 from Two Wells has been charged Charged with possessing firearms and ammunition without a licence.
Christo Nickolas aged 32 from Ascot Park has been charged with two counts of money laundering.
Stamati Toulantas aged 24 from Park Holme has been charged with trafficking in a controlled drug, possess prescription drug and possess prohibited weapon.