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AAP
AAP
National
Emily Woods

Killer's jail time extended for 'outrageous' drug plot

A couple imported 69kg of methamphetamine and heroin disguised as green tea and magnets. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO) (AAP)

Melbourne underworld figure George Marrogi may not walk out of prison until he is in his 60s, after his jail term was increased for an "outrageous" drug smuggling plot with his girlfriend.

Marrogi, 33, is serving a 32-year jail term over the daylight shooting murder of a man tricked into visiting a suburban shopping plaza.

He faced the County Court in Melbourne by video link on Friday with his girlfriend Antonietta Mannella, 29, where the pair were sentenced for running a drug empire while Marrogi was in prison.

"Trafficking in large quantities of drugs and arranging the importation of drugs from prison, while serving a sentence for murder, is outrageous," Judge Peter Rozen told the court.

"Such brazen conduct makes a mockery of the criminal justice system and is an affront to the community."

He sentenced Marrogi to 22 years for the drug offending. His previous 27-year minimum jail term was extended to 32 years.

The couple pleaded guilty to two drug-trafficking charges, one state and one commonwealth, including importing 69kg of methamphetamine and heroin from Thailand disguised as green tea and magnets.

The drugs were seized by authorities after arriving in the country in February 2022.

Judge Rozen said the estimated street value of the drugs was between $23 million and $34 million.

The state offence involved Marrogi enlisting Mannella's help to move 800 litres of Butanediol from South Australia to Victoria.

However, authorities foiled their plan when the truck was pulled over near Horsham in January 2022.

Marrogi, who committed the latest offences from Barwon Prison while awaiting a murder trial for shooting Kadir Ors dead, previously told the court he dragged Mannella into the scheme.

They organised the plot through covert prison phone calls, where calls to Marrogi's lawyers office were diverted to Mannella.

Mannella was jailed for 13 years and she will be eligible for parole after serving six years and 10 months.

Judge Rozen gave Mannella a smaller sentence than Marrogi due to her lesser role in the crime, difficult conditions in protective custody and because she acted out of love and an unhealthy attachment to him.

"Miss Mannella had fallen in love with Mr Marrogi and willingly assumed the role," the judge said.

"Her attachment to Mr Marrogi was very unhealthy psychologically, and she could not resist him.

"She genuinely believed that they could have a happy crime-free life ... after what she believed would be his imminent release from jail."

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