Man faces court over latest drug bust

A MAN charged over two Italian mafia-related world's biggest ecstasy busts has been arrested again over more drug matters.

A MAN charged over two Italian mafia-related world's biggest ecstasy busts has been arrested again over more drug matters.

Tony Sergi was acquitted in 2007 after being charged over a 1.2 tonne ecstasy importation into Melbourne, which at the time was the world's biggest seizure of the drug.

He was among more than 20 people charged in August this year over the current world's biggest ecstasy bust, a 4.4 tonne seizure in Melbourne of 14.5 million ecstasy pills worth $450 million.

Mr Sergi, 35, of Sydenham, is on bail awaiting trial on that ecstasy bust.

Victoria Police this week arrested him again and charged him with two drug offences and one of possessing ammunition.

He appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court yesterday to face charges of possessing a substance to manufacture a drug of dependence for the purpose of trafficking, possessing acetaldehyde and possessing ammunition without a licence.

The case was adjourned to February 13 next year.

Mr Sergi was lucky to survive an attempt on his life in 2005 and police believe they foiled another attempt in 2006.

Both ecstasy shipments to Melbourne were attempts by the Calabrian mafia in Italy to flood Australia with tonnes of the drug.

Police believe being charged over the world's biggest ecstasy bust appears to have put Mr Sergi's life at risk.

Evidence suggests those who organised the 2005 importation to Melbourne of five million ecstasy pills feared he was likely to expose them.

The first attempt to silence Mr Sergi was in the early hours of November 13, 2005, after he was lured to Moonee Ponds.

Three shots were fired as he sat behind the wheel of his parked car, and he was hit in the chest and both arms. The gunmen fled after Mr Sergi pretended to be dead.

Despite extensive injuries, Mr Sergi was able to drive to the nearby Moonee Ponds police station for help.

But he later told Sen-Det Justin Tippett he didn't want to make a formal complaint and didn't want the shooting investigated. Sen-Det Tippett warned Mr Sergi his life and the lives of his family and girlfriend were in grave danger.

Evidence suggests the warning was correct. It appears a second attempt was made to kill him three months later.

Neighbours saw alleged hitman Craig Bradley sitting in a car outside Mr Sergi's home in Dundee Way, Sydenham, about 7.30am on February 11, 2006. But Mr Sergi was sleeping at a friend's house.

Bradley, 39, was back near Mr Sergi's home the following night. Police suspect he was on his way to kill Mr Sergi, but he crashed his stolen car. He was arrested after a gun battle with police.

When police searched him, they found two scraps of paper in his pocket.

One was a photocopy of a photograph of Mr Sergi; a cross had been drawn over Mr Sergi's right eye. The other bore Mr Sergi's address and the registration number of his car.

But police didn't have enough evidence to charge Bradley over this, and, once again, Mr Sergi wasn't interested in pursuing charges.

Bradley was jailed last year for nine years and three months over the shootout with police.