By Erin Pearson and Nell Geraets
Convicted killer and crime family boss George Marrogi will remain in jail until he’s aged in his 60s after a judge sentenced him for orchestrating a $55 million drug importation from behind bars.
Marrogi, 34, who was assisted in his sophisticated criminal operation by “lovesick” girlfriend Antonietta Mannella, helped co-ordinate a huge shipment of heroin and methamphetamine, and attempted to traffic 1,4-Butanediol while on remand in a high-security prison for murder, in 2021 and 2022.
George Marrogi.
Marrogi later learnt his importation had been intercepted by police in a message from fellow inmate and drug baron Tony Mokbel, before Marrogi and Mannella were charged over their involvement in the sophisticated drug syndicate.
On Friday, County Court Judge Peter Rozen described Marrogi as the “author of his own misfortune” who had and would continue to spend most of his life behind bars.
“Trafficking in large quantities of drugs and arranging the importation of drugs from prison, whilst serving a sentence for murder, is outrageous,” Rozen said.
“Such brazen conduct makes a mockery of the criminal justice system.
“He was running a drug importation business while in prison.”
Antonietta Mannella (left) and George Marrogi’s late sister Meshilin Marrogi.Credit:
The court heard that throughout the offending, between December 2021 and February 2022, the lovers were able to carry out their crimes by diverting a legal firm’s phone line to Mannella’s mobile phone.
By circumventing the high-security Barwon Prison’s phone system, Marrogi and Mannella made up to 20 calls a day to plot criminal activities, as their calls went largely unmonitored until police began investigating the drug operation.
In an attempt to avoid detection, the pair would pretend to have legal conversations for 30 seconds – ensuring prison staff were unable to listen in – before starting their real conversations. In those calls, Rozen said the pair spoke in code and used words such as “kittens” regarding live drug imports.
Using these calls, the pair also began attempting to recoup a $1.5 million debt owed to Marrogi in December 2021.
Using Mannella to help source drugs as a form of repayment, they organised for litres of 1,4-Butanediol to be brought over from South Australia in the back of a truck.
Police intercepted the truck in Horsham. Inside were drums containing 1,4-Butanediol, a cleaning agent often sold as the drug GHB due to its sedative and euphoric effects.
By late October 2021, the Australian Federal Police had begun examining Marrogi and Mannella’s involvement in the suspected importation of illicit drugs.
On February 18, 2022, 69 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin the pair had arranged to import arrived in Australia on a Qantas flight from Bangkok.
Inside the plane, federal police discovered 27 boxes stacked three rows high, with the heroin and methamphetamine concealed among packets of green tea and magnets.
Rozen said Marrogi later found out the shipment had been seized through a message sent via fellow inmate Mokbel.
The packets in which the drugs were hidden.Credit: Suplied
At the time of the drug offending, Marrogi – the boss of the crime syndicate Notorious Crime Family – was on remand on a murder charge. He was later convicted and jailed for 32 years for the 2016 shooting murder of Kadir Ors.
Mannella, from Mickleham, was arrested in April 2022.
She and Marrogi later pleaded guilty to importing a commercial quantity of drugs and attempting to traffic 1,4-Butanediol.
Mannella, 29, who grew up in a religious home and spends her days in jail in Bible studies classes, is being held in solitary confinement to protect her from possible reprisal attacks due to Marrogi’s “notoriety”.
Rozen said Marrogi asked Mannella to assume a role previously held by his late sister, Meshilin, after her death from COVID-19.
Mannella, the judge said, fell in love with the crime boss and believed they could live a happy, crime-free life.
“Her attachment to Mr Marrogi was very unhealthy. She could not resist him,” Rozen said.
Both Marrogi and Mannella on Friday appeared remotely from prison: Marrogi from Barwon’s acacia unit and Mannella from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The imported drugs seized by police.
Also watching online were Marrogi’s brother, Jesse Marrogi and his girlfriend Sabrine Maghnie – the daughter of the late underworld figure Nabil Maghnie.
The court previously heard that due to prior criminal offending, Marrogi had spent his entire adult life behind bars aside from one year in the community in his 20s. He is housed as a high-risk inmate.
Rozen jailed Marrogi for 22 years on the drug charges and increased his overall non-parole period to 32 years.
Mannella was sentenced to 13 years’ jail. With time served she could be free in six years.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the jail terms were a testament to Victoria Police’s relentless commitment to holding syndicate members to account for high-harm crimes.
“It’s not only about the drugs – the money they bring into these syndicates also helps facilitate a myriad other serious and violent offending,” Banks said.
“They will remain a continued focus of Victoria Police for this reason, and we will be targeting their every criminal activity.”
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