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.
His lawyer previously argued his client was too young to stay in an adult jail and should be granted bail, but the magistrate denied the request.
When discussing the “essential matters” that related to the accused, the court heard Mr Broikos’ alleged involvement was from meeting with two men at nearby shops and locations, to distance themselves from the Morphett Vale drug lab, where they allegedly exchanged “materials and substances”.
Mr Broikos allegedly delivered cash to one man — who is currently before the courts also facing drug trafficking and manufacturing charges from Operation Ironside — and made arrangements for other people to meet with the man to deliver substances and materials.
The teenager was also accused of distributing or selling phones that had the encrypted AN0M app installed.
“That is not illegal and it can’t stand in the way of him getting bail,” Mr Edwardson said.
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.
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.
