Anthony Caroscio pleaded not guilty to attempted cocaine trafficking in hotel room

A man found in a hotel room with kits labelled “cocaine purity test” and his phone in a microwave says he’s not involved in a 10kg “cocaine” operation.

A magistrate has hit back at a lawyer saying his client being in a hotel room with the inert substance and cocaine testing kits wouldn’t be enough to prove any involvement.

Anthony George Caroscio, 37, denies involvement in the 10kg “cocaine” deal that ended up being a nasty surprise instead.

Brothers Gert and Anastas Kristo, aged 40 and 37, and Jetmir Nikolla, 30, are also accused of being involved in the significant operation.

A prosecutor told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday Mr Caroscio was allegedly involved in preparing the cocaine for sale.

The four co-accused were investigated as part of a covert police operation in September, 2020.

“The principal alleged offender”, Mr Gert met with undercover officers to buy 10kg of an inert substance, believing it was cocaine.

Gert Kristo is accused of being the “principal offender” in the alleged cocaine operation. Picture: Facebook

Jetmir Nikolla Picture: Facebook

He allegedly made a down payment of $100,000 to the undercover officer and took it back to a hotel room, the prosecutor told the court.

The court heard police found Mr Caroscio in the threshold of the North Adelaide hotel room, with rubber gloves in his back pocket and his mobile phone in a microwave.

Police also found some of the inert substance on the hotel table and 27 testing kits labelled “cocaine purity easy test”.

Anastas Kristo. Picture: Facebook

Mr Nikolla, of Woodville North, Mr Caroscio, of Rostrevor and the Kristo brothers, both of Seaton, are charged with attempting to traffic in a commercial quantity of drugs.

Police also searched the accused’s’ houses and allegedly found marijuana plants at two Fulham Garden addresses.

They also allegedly found 26 marijuana plants at a Seacliff residence and 33 plants and 10kg of marijuana in vacuum sealed packaging at a Kilkenny address.

Dominic Agresta, for Mr Caroscio, said the mere presence of Mr Caroscio at the hotel was not enough to prove his alleged involvement.

“He’s not involved in the undercover operation, he’s not a target of the operation,” he said.

Magistrate Smart was not convinced.

“It’s a curious thing … that they (the co-accused) would accompany themselves with an innocent party to be a spectator to their serious criminal venture, unless that person was involved,” he said.

Mr Smart said he was satisfied there was a case to answer and Mr Caroscio entered a not guilty plea to the charge.

He was committed to the Adelaide District Court for trial in June.

The other co-accused will face court again next month.