SA court releases Dion Stamatelopoulos and Igli Jahollari on home detention bail over cannabis trafficking charges

Two western suburbs men accused of taking part in a major cannabis trafficking syndicate will be home for Christmas – once their families have paid the bail on credit cards.

The friends and family of an alleged drug trafficker accused of hiding $92,000 in a cereal box have offered up $60,000 to secure his release on bail – provided they can use their credit cards.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, Dion Stamatelopoulos sought home detention bail over his alleged involvement in a sophisticated cannabis syndicate.

Marie Shaw KC, for Mr Stamatelopoulos, said one of her client’s friends “who works in banking” would lodge $10,000 cash with the court.

That man would also, she said, promise to forfeit a further $20,000 should Mr Stamatelopoulos breach his bail or electronic monitoring conditions.

She said two other men, including Mr Stamatelopoulos’ cousin, would surrender $20,000 and $10,000 respectively should be disobey his strict release conditions.

Meanwhile his co-accused, Igli Jahollari, said his girlfriend would lodge $10,000 cash with the court to secure his release and forfeit a further $10,000 if he breached bail.

Counsel for both men said the cash lodgements could happen immediately – provided the state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, permitted the use of credit and debit cards.

Mr Stamatelopoulos, 38, of Flinders Park, and Mr Jahollari, 31, of Underdale, have yet to plead to multiple charges following their arrests last week.

Albanian-Italian student Igli Jahollari has been charged over a huge Adelaide drug bust. Picture: Facebook

They were allegedly part of a sophisticated trafficking operation involving $116,000 cash, a vintage Holden Monaro, 82 cannabis plants and almost six kilograms of dried marijuana.

Mr Stamatelopoulos, police alleged, had hidden $92,000 cash inside a cereal box in his family’s pantry.

He asked for bail, offering his wife as a guarantor and saying their son would suffer anxiety issues if he was not released.

Mr Jahollari, a university student, also sought release and offered to put up $10,000 cash to guarantee he would not leave on either his Italian or Albanian passport.

On Thursday, the court heard SA Police and the Department for Correctional Services had “investigated” each of the proposed guarantors.

It was told all parties had been deemed “suitable”, as had Mr Stamatelopoulos’ and Mr Jahollari’s residences.

Judge Hribal released Mr Stamatelopoulos on $60,000 bail, and Mr Jahollari on $20,000 bail, under strictly-supervised and electronically-monitored home detention.

Each man must also surrender any and all passports in their possession, regardless of whether they are current or expired, and have no contact with one another.

Judge Hribal also authorised the use of credit cards to guarantee the bail agreements.

They will face court again in March.