Nicola Gobbo used birthday party to spy on gangland guests

Nicola Gobbo threw a lavish birthday party for Australia’s most sought-after drug cook so police could spy on the guests. Weeks later some of the gangland attendees were arrested.

Nicola Gobbo threw a lavish birthday party for Australia’s most sought-after drug cook so police could spy on the guests.

The party, at the former Wheat restaurant in the heart of Melbourne’s legal precinct, ­drew 150 guests including some of the gangland era’s biggest drug traffickers including Tony Mokbel’s brother Milad, Rob “Rock Star” Karam and Zlate “Steve” Cvetanovski.

READ THE FULL LAWYER X STORY

HOW GOBBO PARTIED WITH THE GANGSTERS SHE BETRAYED

WHY LAWYER TURNED INFORMER

Gobbo — outed earlier this year as Lawyer X — not only booked the venue, she collected the RSVPs so her police handlers knew who would attend on March 11, 2006.

Under the ­pretence of taking happy snaps, she gathered photographic evidence for police on a force-issued camera.

During the 40th birthday bash for the Mokbels’ prized cook, undercover police kept watch from an observation point.

Gobbo, who footed the $17,000 bill by credit card, gave police updates on the celebrations from inside the venue. The next day she told ­officers, as ­recorded in police information reports: “1. 3838 (Gobbo) won the dance competition. 2. 150 showed up. 3. Tony Mokbel did not show. 4. Rob Karam was there … 3838 did a speech.”

The Herald Sun can reveal ­details of the audacious sting — part of a campaign by police and Gobbo to destroy the Mokbel cartel from the inside — as the royal commission into the police use of Lawyer X to ­inform on her clients reconvenes this week.

The party was held at the Wheat Restaurant and Bar

Rob Karam was a guest at the party.

Files show that the birthday boy — a client and confidante of Gobbo’s who is about to be ­sentenced to a long jail term — ­repaid only a fraction of the bill.

It is unclear whether the force reimbursed Gobbo in return for setting up an intelligence gathering boon.

At one point, she rang her handlers to report that an undercover officer with a camera had been spotted by the criminal guests.

But it was a media photographer tipped off to the party.

Gobbo, at this time, was not only informing on Tony Mokbel and his brothers, particularly Horty and Milad, but lining up their drug cook to become a police informer himself.

Gobbo, who was registered police informer 3838, was also in the middle of a trial representing Tony Mokbel in his 2006 cocaine trial — the case during which he would flee for Athens.

Tony Mokbel’s brother Milad was one of the targets of Gobbo’s informing.

Cvetanovski was arrested weeks after the party.

Mokbel couldn’t make the party because of a curfew in his bail conditions.

Within weeks of the event, police arrested a number of the attendees including The Cook, Cvetanovski and Milad Mokbel.

After their arrests, despite feeling guilty about betraying The Cook, who had professed his love for Gobbo, her police handlers noted: “3838 (Gobbo) seems happy re arrests, and asked the question: ‘Who’s next?’.”

The three men are among 20 who were notified that their convictions could have been tainted by Gobbo’s dual role as lawyer and police informer, described by the High Court as a “fundamental and appalling” breach of the justice system.

Information reports from the day after the party, as The Cook recovered in bed, record Gobbo telling her police handlers about the Mokbel cartel’s next drug manufacturing operation.

“(The Cook), not cooking until next weekend. He has money and things to collect. Very excited. Was off his head on gear (drug affected).’’

In the same discussion with her handlers, Gobbo says: “(The Cook) arranged to have dinner next Saturday.’’

Gobbo was also providing intelligence on another client, Karam, who had asked her to go to the movies.

Tony Mokbel was a no show at the party due to his bail conditions.

Three days after the party, Gobbo’s handlers tasked her: “3838 asked to think of any connections to an address suitable for a lab site.’’

In April, Detective Senior Sergeant Jim O’Brien, was told Gobbo’s latest intelligence. She had just had dinner with The Cook, who had left to “check out his new facility”, which was within two kilometres of his home in Melbourne’s north.

Gobbo was tasked by her handlers to gather more details.

The same day, she offered up a detail about The Cook lab — within two kilometres of his home.

He was due, she told police, to start manufacturing on April 14.

LAWYER X PART ONE: THE SCORPIONS STING

Her handlers “tasked” her to “gather intelligence on The Cook’s lab and provide updates on all his movements”.

The Cook, who trusted his lawyer, then gave up to Gobbo the most telling clue: that his lab was in a shop being renovated in Strathmore, near a primary school.

These were the critical details that led to a raid on The Cook’s drug lab in Strathmore.

On April 22, within six weeks of the party, police raided the Strathmore drug lab and arrested The Cook and an associate.

After their arrests, Gobbo turned up at the St Kilda Rd police station to offer both men legal advice.

One information report states: “3838 believes the fact that 3838 assisted (The Cook) roll over will not come out.”

The Cook, who had been represented by Gobbo since 2002, “rolled’’ on his criminal co-accused.

Most of those criminal associates caught up in the drug manufacturing operation sought legal advice from Gobbo after their arrests.

Tony Mokbel, Cvetanovski and Karam have launched campaigns to be released from jail.