Court Reduces Sentence of Gangland Boss Tony Mokbel
Tony Mokbel, a former gangland figure in Melbourne, has achieved a remarkable legal victory after a court ruled he will not serve additional prison time for a drug trafficking conviction.
Once a central player in Melbourne's gangland conflicts, Mokbel was initially sentenced in 2012 to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to major drug offences. That sentence was later reduced to a non-parole period of 22 years. Mokbel spent 18 years in custody before being released on bail in April 2025.
Appeals and New Trial Orders
Mokbel filed separate appeals related to convictions from three police operations named Orbital, Magnum, and Quills. These appeals were influenced by revelations that his lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, had acted as a police informant.
Last month, the Court of Appeal quashed Mokbel’s trafficking convictions connected to the Quills operation and ordered a retrial for his MDMA importing and trafficking charges linked to the Orbital case.
Regarding the Magnum case, which involved Mokbel's drug network ("The Company") and trafficking methylamphetamine between 2006 and 2007 while he was overseas, the court rejected his appeal.
Final Sentence Revision
On Thursday, Victoria's Court of Appeal overturned the original sentence from 2012 and revised it to 13 years, 7 months, and 15 days, significantly reducing his imprisonment term.
Summary
This ruling effectively means Mokbel will not return to prison for the contested drug trafficking convictions while some charges remain subject to new trials.
"Gangland kingpin Tony Mokbel will not be sent back to jail after one of the country’s highest courts dramatically slashed his sentence for drug trafficking."
Author’s summary: Tony Mokbel’s prison term has been dramatically reduced after appeals revealing prosecutorial misconduct, reshaping the outcomes of major drug cases tied to Melbourne’s gangland era.