Underworld Kingpin Tony Mokbel Avoids Return to Prison
Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel has been sentenced to time already served after failing to overturn one of his convictions.
Appeal Outcome and Sentence
Mokbel, 60, will not serve additional time for trafficking 41 kg of methamphetamine while on the run. The Victorian Court of Appeal handed down the decision on Thursday, leading to visible relief as he shared a kiss with his girlfriend.
He initially sought to have his 2006 conviction quashed, arguing that barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo tainted his case. However, the court rejected his appeal on the drug trafficking charge, related to the police operation called Magnum.
The Justices Stephen McLeish, Maree Kennedy, and Stephen Kaye upheld the conviction and re-sentenced Mokbel to 13 years, seven months, and 15 days—a sentence he has already served.
Seriousness of the Offense and Context
Justice McLeish noted, "While the offending was serious and flagrant, Mokbel's unusual circumstances warranted the more modest sentence."
Mokbel committed the Magnum offense between July 2006 and June 2007 while evading the law on separate charges. During this period, he trafficked over 41 kg of methamphetamine, generating over $4 million in revenue, while hiding in regional Victoria and Greece.
Background and Legal History
- Mokbel was arrested and extradited to Melbourne in 2008.
- He pleaded guilty in 2011 to the Magnum offense and two other drug charges.
- In early 2025, he successfully appealed the two other convictions, known as Quills and Orbital.
Author's Summary
Tony Mokbel avoids further imprisonment after his serious drug trafficking conviction is upheld but re-sentenced to time already served due to his complex legal and personal circumstances.