Tony Mokbel, the notorious Melbourne gangland figure, was granted bail by the Victorian Court of Appeal on April 4, 2025, after serving nearly 18 years of a 26-year sentence for drug trafficking. The court accepted his argument that his convictions were tainted because his barrister, Nicola Gobbo, was a police informer. Mokbel's sister put up a million dollars to secure his release.
Mokbel, 59, walked out of court a free man, grinning as he passed through a media scrum and into a waiting car. He was driven to a family member's home in Melbourne's North East, with helicopters hovering overhead. He now intends to appeal his convictions, and the Court of Appeal has already found that he has a very strong case to overturn them.
Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina commented that Mokbel is unlikely to return to the drug underworld due to his age and an acquired brain injury from an assault in prison. Former undercover drug squad detective Damian Marrett expressed anger towards senior police officers, including former Chief Commissioner Simon Overland, who oversaw Nicola Gobbo's use as an informant during the gangland years.
Mokbel was a key figure in Melbourne's drug trade in the 1990s and early 2000s, working alongside drug dealers like Carl Williams. He became a fugitive in 2006 when he fled to Greece while on bail, but was eventually captured and returned to Australia. His legal saga continues as he appeals his convictions.
