Kosta Pehlivanidis, a 31-year-old resident of Flinders Park, Adelaide has been ordered to stand trial for allegedly attempting to traffic in 8kg of cocaine, valued at $3.2 million.
He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, The Advertiser reported.
Originally arrested alongside his 82-year-old grandmother, Eudoxia “Effie” Pehlivanidis, at their shared home in Flinders Park, the charge against Mrs Pehlivanidis has been withdrawn due to her significant dementia.
Mrs Pehlivanidis had insisted on her innocence and said she “had no idea” why she was arrested and that she had “never touched drugs… never even touched a cigarette”.
Even though neighbours and friends described the Greek Australian woman as a “lovely lady who loves to sew” and “has several health issues and memory problems”, police initially alleged the octogenarian was part of a drug syndicate who were attempting to import at least 8kg of cocaine in the Australian market.
“We’re all shocked. When I heard the news I thought ‘no way, not Effie’,” a neighbour had told Channel 7, adding that “I would not have thought she knew what it was”.
The yiayia of six who had taken her grandson in when her husband, also named Kostas, passed away four years ago, has since been released on bail.
Court documents allege that a delivery person was instructed to leave the package at the rear of her premises, where police later found Mr Pehlivanidis and his grandmother with the open package.
The police had intercepted the package and replaced it with an inert substance before conducting a controlled delivery.
Mr Pehlivanidis will appear in the District Court for arraignment in May.
