Toorak cafe becomes involved in cocaine import investigation

The Via Torino café in Toorak has found itself in the middle of a cocaine importation investigation.

Detectives looking into the importation of 45 kilograms of cocaine visited the Toorak Village café as part of their investigations.

There is no suggestion the café is involved, however there seems to be a tenuous link between the Grange Rd Italian restaurant and Spotswood man Ertgrei Gjeka, who was arrested recently over an alleged failed plot to smuggle the cocaine into Australia inside a jukebox.

The jukebox was intercepted at North Sunshine (far from Toorak) by Border Force officers.

Mr Gjeka and Reservoir man Vaios Gkoumis were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Residential properties in Spotswood and Reservoir, along with two commercial premises in Toorak (Via Torino) and Kingsville were searched.

Irit Jackson, 6^th June 2022