Cranbourne North baker Harry Piperias jailed for trafficking commercial quantity of heroin
A Cranbourne North baker swapped dough for smack to rise to be boss of a major southeast Melbourne dial-a-deal heroin racket.
South East
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A former Cranbourne North baker exposed as the big boss behind a massive southeast heroin racket has been jailed.
Harry Piperias, 48, was sentenced in the County Court on Monday to a minimum four years’ jail after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of heroin.
The court heard Piperias was the “principle” of the business which moved smack through Dandenong, Noble Park and Keysborough between October 2018 and February 2019.
Piperias employed several cronies within the organisation which operated as a dial-a-deal heroin delivery business.
The crew’s racket was infiltrated in late-2018 by undercover cops ‘Sammy’ and ‘Chris’, the court was told.
Police deployed phone intercepts and covert surveillance to tighten the net around Piperias and his associates.
Piperias and the gang peddled their wares at various southeast locations including hospitals, sports grounds, private homes, Parkmore Shopping Centre, a Hungry Jacks, a 7-Eleven and Dandenong KFC.
A underling’s home was the base of the operation but much of the business was done on the road by “employees” who worked in shifts, seven days a week, morning to evening.
Piperias was also a benevolent industrial relations manager who let his staff knock off early if the temperature was too hot.
“Hey Harry, how’s your day going?? I am just about to have a shower and head down to
George’s. Are you there and do you still want me to do shift this a?,” a crew member messaged Piperias.
“Up to you if you want to work in f***ing heat up to you i was telling theo we might call it a day but if you want to work it’s up to you,” Piperias responded.
The crew completed 520 individual deals moving more than 800 grams of heroin while under police surveillance.
The crew, who accepted cash, goods and sometimes put drugs on tick, also sold 166 grams of heroin to covert cop Sammy for $53,650.
Piperias, who the court heard was “the boss” of the business, was a hands-on kingpin who sourced and prepared heroin for sale including cutting and weighing the drugs.
Piperias, who paid his employees in cash or drugs, was also directly involved in street-level deals.
Luckily for Piperias he was arrested by police unconnected to the undercover investigation in February, 2019.
Piperias was nabbed semiconscious, sitting alone in a car at a service station with more than 30 grams of heroin, a knife, $2570 and multiple mobile phones.
Piperias told police the heroin was for him and an illiterate mate for personal use and claimed most of the cash was for rent.
The surprise arrest led covert cops running the investigation to pounce and arrest the other crew members.
The court heard Piperias, a dad, worked as a baker at multiple southeast businesses but found it hard to hold down jobs due to his heroin addiction.
Judge Jeanette Morrish jailed Piperias, who had spent 936 days on remand, for a maximum six years.
Piperias was also ordered to pay a $53,650 penalty.
