Underworld Kingpin Mokbel Avoids Return to Prison
Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel has been sentenced to time already served after losing an appeal to overturn one of his drug trafficking convictions.
Appeal Outcome
Mokbel, 60, was relieved after the Victorian Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday. He will not serve additional time for trafficking 41kg of methamphetamine while evading law enforcement.
"While the offending was serious and flagrant, Mokbel's unusual circumstances warranted the more modest sentence." – Justice Stephen McLeish
Case Background
Initially, Mokbel sought to have his 2006 drug trafficking conviction quashed, arguing his case was compromised due to involvement by barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo. However, the court rejected this appeal in October.
Justices Stephen McLeish, Maree Kennedy, and Stephen Kaye resentenced Mokbel to 13 years, seven months, and 15 days—equal to the time he has already served.
Details of the Offense
- The offense occurred between July 2006 and June 2007 during a period Mokbel was on the run.
- Mokbel trafficked over 41 kilograms of methamphetamine, generating more than $4 million.
- He operated while hiding in regional Victoria and later Greece.
Legal Proceedings
Mokbel was arrested and extradited to Melbourne in 2008. He pleaded guilty in 2011 to the main Magnum trafficking offense and two other charges.
In 2025, he successfully appealed the two additional convictions, known as Quills and Orbital.
Author's Summary
Tony Mokbel avoids further imprisonment after resentencing leaves him with time served for trafficking a massive methamphetamine haul during his fugitive years.