Come Dine With Me winners found guilty of importing cannabis | Y056541 | 2024-04-13 21:08:01
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</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Two former winners of Come Dine With Me have been convicted over a plot to smuggle giant quantities of hashish into the UK.
Nicholas Panayiotou, 43, and Eleanar Attard, 45, have been found guilty together with gang members Constantinos Zavros, Luke Wileman, and Koby Haik.
The group's plans to convey 58kg of weed from the US have been foiled after a theft at a London airport, in response to the Metropolitan Police.
Each Panayiotou and Attard appeared on Channel 4's Come Dine with Me: The Professionals in 2022 with their Touch of Greek restaurant in East London.
Two ladies reported their suitcases and passports had been stolen to the Met's aviation policing command after arriving in London on a flight from Los Angeles on 11 January last yr, the pressure stated.
CCTV inquiries led detectives to two suspects, a man and lady, and a automotive registered to Attard.
Days later officers attended the restauranteurs' residence in Broxbourne and arrested the husband and wife duo.
That they had travelled to a lodge in Chingford and their Contact of Greek restaurant after the theft was carried out.
Panayiotou's telephone was searched, which revealed a Whatsapp group containing evidence the theft was related to a wider plot to import and steal a considerable amount of hashish.
The plan contained details of the plot, the place the group deliberate to steal the hashish from the 2 ladies recruited to import it by posing as customs officers.
Also discovered have been taken on the Touch of Greek restaurant days after the theft which showed giant quantities of hashish.
In the Whatsapp group have been the identifies of three other individuals additionally arrested – Zavros, who was related to the drug suppliers in the US, Haik and Wileman, who advised the gang on find out how to sell the medicine, the pressure stated.
Zavros and Wileman have been arrested after identification final April and last July respectively.
Officers attended Haik's residence on 5 April last yr to arrest him, however he was armed with a baseball bat and fired two photographs from an imitation firearm once they entered the tackle earlier than he was safely detained.
Zavros, 34, of Carlton Avenue, Southgate, was convicted of conspiracy to import cannabis, conspiracy to provide cannabis and conspiracy to steal.
Haik, 31, of Ashfield Street, Southgate, was convicted of conspiracy to import cannabis, conspiracy to provide hashish, conspiracy to steal and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to trigger worry of violence.
Wileman, 32, of Faygate Lane, Horsham, and Panayiotou of Sawells, Broxbourne, have been convicted of conspiracy to provide hashish and conspiracy to steal.
Zavros was sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison, Haik was sentenced to seven years in jail and Panayiotou was sentenced to four years and one month in prison at Isleworth crown courtroom on Friday, the drive stated.
Attard of Sawells, Broxbourne, was charged with theft of suitcases and passports and sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
She has additionally been ordered to carry out a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and full 100 hours of unpaid work at Isleworth crown courtroom on 15 March.
Wileman is because of be sentenced at the similar courtroom on 9 Might.
The Met's DCI Inderjit Kaur stated: 'This investigation highlights some incredible detective work by Met cops to determine and uncover a dangerous group involved in drug importation and supply, which we know can have a horrible impact on native communities.
'We additionally saw unimaginable bravery and professionalism from TSG officers who have been shot at as they arrested one of the suspects.
'Thankfully, only blanks have been fired, but because of this investigation, a harmful weapon is off the streets and a gaggle of harmful criminals at the moment are behind bars.'
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