Melbourne businessman Brent Gentner facing further charges
After being swept up in a major organised crime inquiry, Bayswater businessman Brent Gentner has been slapped with charges over a prison drug seizure.
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A Melbourne businessman swept up in a major organised crime inquiry involving allegations of cocaine, meth and MDMA trafficking across Melbourne has also been charged over a prison drug seizure.
Brent Gentner - the operator of firebombed Bayswater company Paramount Blinds - was arrested by the special operations group in a raid at Glen Iris this week as part of an operation dubbed Jackal.
Police will allege 1kg of high-purity cocaine worth $350,000 was abandoned by one suspect above the Monash Freeway as investigators made their move.
It was found hours later by detectives near the Brixton Rd pedestrian overpass section of the Gardiners Creek trail.
Guns and silencers were also seized by investigators in a series of linked eastern suburbs warrants.
The 47-year-old from Croydon has been charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of cocaine and a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine.
Mr Gentner also faces a count of possessing a traffickable amount of firearms stemming from the Jackal inquiry, which involved covert operatives.
Separately, police will allege a sniffer dog’s interest led to him being charged with drug offences after a visit to Marngoneet Prison, near Geelong, earlier this month.
A subsequent search of his car allegedly turned up 20g of meth, 3g of cocaine, prescription drugs and a taser.
He is also accused in connection with three guns which were found dumped in a rubbish bin at Mitcham in April.
A 22-year-old Ashburton man who was arrested with Mr Gentner at Glen Iris this week will face the same drug charges.
Paramount was one of two major blind manufacturers struck in late-2024 and early this year by early-morning firebombers.
It was torched in December, a month before arsonists destroyed Dollar Curtains and Blinds in Kilsyth.
The blazes - which investigators believe are connected - left a total damage bill estimated at $25 million.
The operation which resulted in Mr Gentner being charged this week uncovered drugs worth $350,000, $60,000 in cash and imitation firearms.
Also detained were
A Glen Iris man, 20, allegedly linked to the 1kg of cocaine recovered by detectives.
A 35-year-old Ringwood man who was charged with methylamphetamine trafficking.
A Vermont man, aged 52, who was charged with permitting a premises to be used for drug trafficking, drug possession and being in possession of 15 guns.
A Glen Iris man, 23, charged with failing to comply with a direction and methylamphetamine possession.
Three vehicles, including a 2015 Mercedes-Benz, a 2021 Toyota Hilux and a 2019 Toyota Hilux were confiscated, along with high-end designer watches and apparel.
The operation involved members from the Croydon district response unit, eastern region crime squad and region officer with support from the SOG and Australian Border Force.
Detective Insp. Glen Cruse said the investigation involved months of work.
“This seizure of 1kg of illicit drugs, along with firearms, is a great result for our local community,” Insp. Cruse said.
“This operation is about more than just shutting down an alleged drug trafficking network. It’s about reducing the broader ripple effect these substances have on families, road-users and the wider community.”
Originally published as Melbourne businessman Brent Gentner facing further charges
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