Accused cocaine dealing grandmother Evdocia ‘Effie’ Phelivanidis, 82, speaks after arrest

The octogenarian is accused of being one of the state’ s oldest drug dealers – but she says she didn’t do it.

An Adelaide grandmother accused of being one of the state’s oldest drug dealers has denied she knew of any cocaine at her western suburbs home.

Evdocia “Effie” Phelivanidis, 82, was charged after a multimillion-dollar bust at her home of 56 years on Wednesday afternoon.

Her grandson Kosta Phelivanidis, 30, was also charged with serious drug offences after heavily-armed police raided his grandmother‘s Flinders Park property.

Speaking at her home on Friday morning, the 82-year-old widow denied knowing about the cocaine and protested her innocence, telling 7NEWS she had “never even smoked a cigarette”.

She said police had discovered a box allegedly containing illicit drugs at her home, but “didn’t know” where it came from.

“It was just a box with sticks inside, I don’t know,” she said.

“I don’t know (if it was dropped) by the post office man or a different man.”

Evdocia “Effie” Phelivanidis, 82, has denied knowing of any cocaine at her property. Picture: 7NEWS

Serious and Organised Crime Branch detectives will allege the pair were part of a drug syndicate who were attempting to import at least 8kg of cocaine worth more than $3.2 million.

Friends told how Greek-born Mrs Phelivanidis – whose husband of 56 years Konstandinos, 85, also known as Kosta, died more than four years ago – was a “really lovely lady”.

They said the mother of two, and grandmother of six grandchildren, was believed to be suffering from health and memory problems.

Kosta Phelivanidis. Picture: 7NEWS

An avid sewer who loved her family, neighbours said she would use a walking frame to travel up and down her street, waving to neighbours and hugging friends.

“She is just the loveliest lady,” said one neighbour, who declined to be named.

“We’re all shocked. When I heard the news I thought ‘no way, not Effie’. I would not have thought she knew what it was.”

A third neighbour told how STAR force officers, and detectives, raided her home just before 3.30pm on Wednesday.

“I was in my study and then I heard an almighty bang and then lots of shouting and screaming,” he said.

“I looked out and I could see all these police. I saw a man being led out in cuffs – he was in shorts, a dark T-shirt and socks – and then a policewoman brought her out and took her away.”

The sandstone brick house, which Mrs Phelivanidis and her husband bought in 1966, has two sheds out the back – one of which it is believed her grandson lived in.

Under state law, the maximum penalty if found guilty of trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug, such as cocaine, is life imprisonment, a $1m fine or both.

The pair will appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court in April.

Detectives are not expected to make any further arrests.

Police storming Phelivanidis’ Flinders Park property. Picture: Supplied

The street value of cocaine, which is most commonly dealt in powdered form in Australia, is usually measured as a ‘cap’ or in grams.

According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the price for one gram of cocaine is between $300 and $600, while 1kg is between $150,000 and $330,000.

Police have urged anyone with information on the “manufacture, sale or supply” of illicit drugs to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Accused cocaine dealing grandmother Evdocia ‘Effie’ Phelivanidis, 82, speaks after arrest