The Patras Brothers

Savas Patras was an associate of Lewis Moran (left). Pastras, 39, turned up at Moran's Essendon unit on October 25, 2002, not knowing police were inside raiding it. One of the detectives asked Moran's partner, Virginia Strazdas, who was the man walking up the driveway, and she said he was a friend.

Moran's partner ignored a police command not to warn the man and managed to slightly open the door and tell him to go away.

A detective, Senior Constable Victor Anastasiadis, said he opened the door, recognised Pastras and said, "Sav, come in."

He was taken into Moran's house and a search discovered he had $44,000 in $100 and $50 notes hidden under his jacket in a green plastic bag.

After removing the bag, Pastras hunched over and began to shake, he said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Allison told the court that Pastras had a look of shock and horror on his face when police confronted him.

"He looked as though he had seen a ghost; he couldn't speak. He opened his mouth but words weren't coming out," Senior Sergeant Allison said.

Forensic tests revealed the cash showed traces of heroin and cocaine.

Savas Pastras was charged with possessing the proceeds of crime.

Police alleged the $44,000 was to be paid to Lewis Moran to settle a drug debt.

Pastras's lawyer, Stephen Shirrefs, SC, told the court that the warrant used to conduct the raid on Moran's home was illegal.

"The search of Mr Pastras and the seizure of the money on him only arose because he was invited into the house by police," Mr Shirrefs said.

He said the money could not be deemed proceeds of crime because Moran had not touched the cash and police said it was related to a drug deal "purported to have occurred".

Magistrate Ann Collins ruled in April 2004 that Savas Pastras had no case to answer because police could not prove the money was derived from a crime.

Collins cleared Mr Pastras in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court after finding that police could not prove that the money, stashed in a green plastic shopping bag, had anything to do with the sale of drugs.

She also found that police could not prove that traces of heroin and cocaine found on the cash did not come from other sources.

Ms Collins ordered police to pay costs.

On October 14, 2006 Savas's brother, Michael "Eyes" Pastras , 36, was shot once in the buttocks and once in the thigh at a house in Albion St, Brunswick.

He refused to tell police who shot him.

Mr Pastras underwent surgery.

A police statement said he was in a stable condition.

The Herald Sun has been told Mr Pastras wouldn't co-operate with police and refused to make a complaint about the shooting.

Detectives from the armed offenders taskforce Emerald are continuing to investigate.

Police said no motive had been established.

A police source said there was no evidence to suggest the shooting was connected to Mr Pastras implicating Andrew Veniamin in wanting to kill Mick Gatto.

"But Veniamin's associates know about it and would not be happy," the source said.

"It's a line of inquiry which will have to be followed."

Pastras was given the nickname Eyes after two gangland figures gave him a $25,000 pair of diamond-studded glasses.

Pastras gave evidence at Mick Gatto's murder trial that he spoke to Veniamin on March 23, 2004, the day Veniamin was shot dead by Mr Gatto.

He said that Veniamin never mentioned anything to him about wanting to harm Mr Gatto.

But after testifying, he approached the Purana gangland killing taskforce and made a statement refuting what he said in the witness box.

Pastras told Purana detectives he saw Veniamin with a gun when he went to meet Mr Gatto in Carlton's La Porcella restaurant and that Veniamin told him he wanted Mr Gatto dead.

He claimed Veniamin told him: "I am f---ing dirty on Mick Gatto. He has got to go."

That evidence was not presented to the jury in the Gatto murder trial.

Pastras was named in a confidential Victoria Police document that was blamed for prompting the executions of police informer Terrence Hodson and his wife, Christine in 2004.

It contained details of what Hodson told police and was leaked to Melbourne's underworld shortly before the Hodson were shot dead in their Kew home in 2004.

On January 31, 2007, the Herald Sun reported that the Michael Pastras was attack linked to drugs

Police said they were making strong headway in their hunt for the two men who attacked Mr Pastras.

Det-Insp Jim O'Brien, of the Purana taskforce, said it appeared the incident was related to Melbourne's amphetamine trade. "We believe there are connections with drug dealing," he said.

Det-Insp O'Brien said detectives were keen to talk to anyone with information on a vehicle seen in Albion St about 11.45am on the night of the shooting.