Members of a gang which included two former winners of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me were convicted over a plot to import large amounts of cannabis.
Nicholas Panayiotou, Eleanar Attard, Constantinos Zavros, Luke Wileman and Koby Haik had planned to smuggle 58kg of the drug into the UK from the US. However, their plot was thwarted following a theft at a London airport, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Panayiotou and Attard had previously appeared on Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, representing their Touch of Greek restaurant in Chingford, east London, in July 2022. The plot unravelled when two women reported their suitcases and passports stolen to the Met’s Aviation Policing Command after landing in London on a flight from Los Angeles on January 11 last year.
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CCTV inquiries led detectives to two suspects, a man and woman, and a car registered to Attard. Officers went to Attard’s home in Broxbourne two days later where both she and her husband Panayiotou were arrested.
Following the theft, Panayiotou and Attard had travelled to a hotel in Chingford and their Touch of Greek restaurant. Upon examining Panayiotou’s phone, officers found evidence on a WhatsApp group chat the theft was part of a wider conspiracy to import and steal a large amount of cannabis, the Met said.
The chat contained details of a plan to smuggle the cannabis into the UK and a plot to steal the cannabis from the two women recruited to import it by posing as customs officers. Three videos taken the day after the theft at the restaurant were also found on the phone which showed large quantities of cannabis.
Three other people were identified in the WhatsApp group – Zavros, who was connected to the drugs suppliers in the US and Haik and Wileman, who advised the gang on how to sell the drugs, the force said.
Zavros and Wileman were arrested after identification last April and last July respectively. Officers attended Haik’s home on April 5 last year to arrest him but he was armed with a baseball bat and fired two shots from an imitation firearm when they entered the address before he was safely detained.
Zavros, 34, of Carlton Avenue, Southgate, was convicted of conspiracy to import cannabis, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to steal.
Haik, 31, of Ashfield Road, Southgate, was convicted of conspiracy to import cannabis, conspiracy to supply cannabis, conspiracy to steal and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Wileman, 32, of Faygate Lane, Horsham, and Panayiotou, 43, of Sawells, Broxbourne, were both convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to steal.
Zavros was handed a sentence of six years and 11 months, while Haik received seven years, and Panayiotou got four years and one month at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday.
Attard, aged 45, from Sawells, Broxbourne, was charged with theft of suitcases and passports, receiving an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, alongside a requirement to complete a 10-day Rehabilitation Activity and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Wileman is set to hear his fate on May 9.
Met Detective Chief Inspector Inderjit Kaur said: “This investigation highlights some fantastic detective work by Met Police officers to identify and uncover a dangerous group involved in drugs importation and supply, which we know can have a terrible effect on local communities.”
“We also saw incredible bravery and professionalism from TSG officers who were shot at as they arrested one of the suspects. Thankfully, only blanks were fired, but thanks to this investigation, a dangerous weapon is off the streets and a group of dangerous criminals are now behind bars.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
