Two music venues in the Australian city of Melbourne were raided this week after local police suspected their involvement in the sale of illegal drugs. Railway Hotel managers Chris Lytras and Paul Polito were both charged with trafficking offenses. According to The Herald Sun, the two men had such large quantities of drugs outside of their upstairs office, buyers were seen lining up outside the building.
Police said they found cocaine, methamphetamines and even ecstasy stamped with a “VW” logo. Some of the drugs were pure, they said, while others came back cut with other substances.
The strangest part of this story, and one that confused even Magistrate Peter Reardon, was the amount of money police spent on purchasing drugs from the venue before conducting a proper raid. Police said they visited the venue 13 times, spending a total of $67,000 before continuing with the investigation.
Polito, who was said to be a “concierge” who would lead buyers into the upstairs room, was bailed out on a $150,000 surety.
Both nightclubs will remain open and operational despite the raids.
Source: Tonedeaf