DRUGS BARON FINGERS POLICE

ONE of Melbourne's biggest drug barons has turned whistleblower on police
he claims have links to organised crime syndicates.

Peter Pilarinos, awaiting sentence on charges of bribing police, burglary
and theft, this week gave National Crime Authority (NCA) investigators a
25-page signed statement outlining alleged police corruption. The statement
names alleged corrupt police officers and gives details of alleged links to
criminal activities in Victoria and New South Wales.

The Sunday Herald Sun has learned that several other key Melbourne
criminals this week gave NCA investigators statements supporting the
allegations.

Victoria Police spokesman Bruce Tobin yesterday urged Pilarinos to take his
complaints to the Ethical Standards Department "if there is any evidence to
support the allegations".

"Any evidence will be fully investigated by the department and this is
oversighted by the State Ombudsman," Mr Tobin said.

It is understood Pilarinos was approached 18 months ago by detectives from
the Victoria Police Ethical Standards Department to give information on
allegedly corrupt police.

He refused then to co-operate with investigators.

Pilarinos has continued his stand not to inform on other criminals.

Pilarinos has spent the past 20 years as a boss of one of Victoria's
busiest amphetamine rings and has boasted for several years of having
police in his "back pocket".

He has close links to a some of the most notorious and well-connected
criminals in Melbourne.

Now his crime empire has all but collapsed.

Pilarinos, who pleaded guilty to bribery, burglary and theft charges, is
due to be sentenced later this week and faces a lengthy jail term. His wife
Valerie was released from prison last month after serving an eight-month
jail term for social security fraud.

It is understood Pilarinos delayed his decision to inform on allegedly
corrupt police until his wife was out of prison.

A former Victorian police officer who spent several years investigating
corrupt police said yesterday Pilarinos's allegations should not be ignored.

He said the drug baron's decision to turn against allegedly corrupt police
was "fuelled by betrayal".

"For more than 20 years, Pilarinos has surrounded himself and his gang with
a number of corrupt police officers," said the former detective, who,
fearing for his safety, did not want to be named.

"He (Pilarinos), for all intents and purposes, had been given free passage
for many, many years," he said. "Suddenly, the rules of the game changed
and he was left holding the ball."

The Sunday Herald Sun has learned the Pilarinos statement alleges a
long-term association with a senior detective based at a Melbourne
inner-city Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) police station.

He alleges the detective is one of several former members of the defunct
Crime Car Squad allegedly involved in a range of corrupt activities,
including links to the drug trade.

In his statement, Pilarinos alleges the detective met him at least three
times a week.

Pilarinos alleges he regularly socialised with the detective and regularly
visited the policeman's home in the western suburbs.

In the statement, Pilarinos alleges he and his wife Valerie also befriended
the detective's partner and bought gifts for the couple's children.

Pilarinos provided the NCA with the detective's private home and mobile
telephone number and number of a pager allegedly used by Pilarinos and
other criminals to contact the detective.

He also provided specific information about other allegedly corrupt officers.

In the statement, Pilarinos claimed he and the detective regularly met
other allegedly corrupt police at the popular Palais nightclub at St Kilda.

He also claimed a detective provided him with a sample of heroin he alleged
the detective wanted to sell to him or his criminal associates for $8000.

Pilarinos told the NCA he was prepared to make further statements and fully
co-operate with investigators into corruption.

Pilarinos, 45, pleaded guilty last year after he was charged with paying
disgraced former Drug Squad detective Kevin Hicks thousands of dollars in
bribes in return for information on drug operations conducted by police.

The Drug Squad detective had also provided Pilarinos with the keys to a
secret police drug-storage facility at Attwood, from which a quantity of
chemicals used in the manufacture of amphetamines was stolen.

At the time he was charged, Sen-Det. Hicks was based at Benalla CIB. His
immediate supervisor was Det-Sgt Denis Tanner.

Hicks, who has pleaded guilty to a bribery charge, is in prison awaiting
sentencing.

In a lengthy interview with the Sunday Herald Sun at his luxury mansion
more than five years ago, Pilarinos claimed police corruption was rife.

At the time he refused to elaborate on his allegations, but hinted that
several key crime figures would be prepared to turn against corrupt
officers if they (criminals) ever felt betrayed.

At the time, Pilarinos had not been charged with any serious criminal offences.

In March 1998, Pilarinos pleaded guilty to possessing illegal firearms,
including a .44 Uberti revolver with laser sight, a .22 pen pistol and a
.22 Winchester rifle.

He was sentenced to six months in prison to be served by intensive
corrections order.