Eudoxia Pehlivanidis: Australia's oldest drug trafficker, 82, skips court after 'worsening dementia' makes her aggressive
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA: An elderly grandmother who insists she has never touched drugs in her life despite being charged with major drug trafficking is apparently struggling with deteriorating health that makes her aggressive. Eudoxia 'Effie' Pehlivanidis's lawyer Yasmin McMahon told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 12, that her client was suffering from worsening dementia and attending court would be too overwhelming for her.
"It is difficult to get her into the setting like the court," she said according to Daily Mail. McMahon told the court her 82-year-old client could be 'aggressive' if forced to come to court in person. Prosecution counsel didn't object to Pehlivanidis' absence even though Magistrate Ben Sale said people who are on bail after being charged with such significant offenses are normally required to attend. "I'm not seeking to make any audits," prosecution counsel said.
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Why was Pehlivanidis arrested?
South Australian detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch armed police raided Pehlivanidis' home in Flinders Park in February. Pehlivanidis and her grandson Kosta, 30, were detained as part of an investigation into the attempted importation of 8kg (17.6 lbs)of cocaine.
'Never smoked, never nothing'
Pehlivanidis told 7News she didn't know why police arrested her, and insisted she has never touched any drugs. "Never! Never smoked, never nothing," she said. The court heard prosecutors needed six months before they could determine charges against Pehlivanidis and her co-accused grandson Kosta Pehlivanidis as the matter involved police from different states.
"The reason for a long period is that it does involve cross-agency between New South Wales Police and SAPOL," prosecution counsel said. "There is also likely to be drug analysis and DNA-related evidence. It's slightly more complicated than most ordinary drug trafficking."
The grandmother previously told the outlet that police allegedly found a box containing drugs, but she didn't know what was in it. "It's just a box with sticks," she said. "I don't know (if it was delivered) by the post office man or a different man." She and Kosta were charged with attempting to traffic in a large commercial quantity of cocaine and will remain on bail to face court again in October.
