Two previous contestants of ‘Come Dine With Me: The Professionals’ have been implicated in a major criminal scheme involving the smuggling of cannabis into the UK, leading to arrests and significant prison sentences.
Two former winners of Channel 4’s “Come Dine With Me: The Professionals”, Nicholas Panayiotou and Eleanar Attard, were implicated in a criminal scheme to smuggle 58kg of cannabis into the UK from the US. Their criminal activities surfaced following an incident at a London airport, where a theft led to their subsequent arrest.
Panayiotou and Attard, previous participants on the show representing their Touch of Greek restaurant in Chingford, were part of a larger gang that included Constantinos Zavros, Luke Wileman, and Koby Haik. An investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police unraveled the scheme through surveillance and evidence found on Panayiotou’s phone, which included incriminating WhatsApp messages.
The gang faced serious charges, with Zavros and Haik being convicted of conspiracy charges relating to the importation and supply of cannabis. They received prison sentences of six years and 11 months, and seven years, respectively. Panayiotou was sentenced to four years and one month for conspiracy to supply cannabis and theft. Attard received a suspended prison sentence along with community service for her involvement in the theft.
The operations led to commendations for the officers involved, credited with exposing a significant drug trafficking operation and bringing the members to justice.
