Tony Mokbel: Drug Lord Set To Walk Free After Explosive Lawyer X Scandal—Here's What You Need To Know

Tony Mokbel, one of Australia's most notorious drug lords, is poised to taste freedom for the first time in nearly two decades. On 4 April 2025, three Victorian Court of Appeal justices granted him bail, a seismic twist in a saga drenched in crime, betrayal, and legal upheaval.

The catalyst? The Lawyer X scandal, a bombshell that's rocked Victoria's justice system and now threatens to unravel Mokbel's 2012 drug trafficking convictions. Here's how this underworld titan clawed his way back to the streets.

From Fugitive to Free: Mokbel's Wild Ride

Mokbel's story reads like a crime thriller. In 2012, he copped a 30-year sentence, with a 22-year non-parole period, after pleading guilty to running a sprawling drug syndicate. But rewind to 2006: facing cocaine importation charges, he bolted. Stashed aboard a 17-metre yacht, Mokbel fled Australia for Greece, leaving a £76 million ($1 million) surety from his sister-in-law in the dust.

Arrested in Athens in 2007 — wig and all — he was extradited back to face justice. Fast forward to 4 April 2025, and he's walked out of the Victorian Court of Appeal a free man, albeit on a tight leash: an ankle bracelet, daily police check-ins, and a curfew from 8pm to 6am.

This isn't Mokbel's first win. In 2020, his cocaine conviction was quashed over the Lawyer X fiasco, and his sentence was trimmed to 26 years with a 20-year minimum in 2023. Now, at 59, he's banking on having his remaining convictions — tied to MDMA and methamphetamine trafficking — tossed entirely.

Why? His barrister, Nicola Gobbo, was secretly feeding info to Victoria Police while representing him. Mokbel's team argues he'd never have taken that plea deal if he'd known she was a double agent.

Lawyer X: The Scandal That Broke the System

Enter Nicola Gobbo, aka Lawyer X. From 2005 to 2009, she worked both sides, advising Mokbel while tipping off cops. Her intel helped nail him, including convincing a drug cook to flip and testify against him.

The scandal's tentacles stretch far. Gobbo's actions tainted multiple cases, sparking a royal commission and leaving Victoria Police red-faced. For Mokbel, it's personal: a 2019 prison assault left him battered, and years in harsh lockdown have taken a toll.

His barrister, Julie Condon KC, leaned on nine factors for bail, from his frail health to his 'exceptionally strong' appeal case. The prosecution cried flight risk, pointing to that yacht stunt, but Emerton countered: Mokbel's older, wiser, and tethered by family ties — including a long-term partner and a £76 million ($1 million) surety from sister Gawy Saad.

What's Next: Freedom, Retrial, or Back Behind Bars?

So, what's the play? Mokbel's out on 31 strict conditions, living at Saad's four-bedroom Yallambie home, tracked 24/7 by a New Zealand firm, Allied Universal, at £19,500 ($25,000) a year — his dime.

He can't touch smartphones or encrypted apps, and he's due back in court in May 2025. If his appeal succeeds, those convictions could vanish, potentially ending his sentence early (parole was set for 2031). But if it flops, or a retrial goes south, he could face stiffer penalties — life, even — without the plea discount he got in 2012.