Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel is a step closer to quashing his remaining convictions, with his long-awaited appeal hearing set to start.

The former gangland figure is expected to appear in person at the Victorian Court of Appeal this morning, after being released on bail in April.

He is seeking to have drug trafficking and importation convictions overturned, claiming they were tainted because he was represented by barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo.

Gobbo, a registered Victoria Police informer from 2005 to 2009, was acting as Mokbel's lawyer for four years before he fled to Greece in 2006.

She continued to advise him when he was extradited to Melbourne in 2008.

Mokbel pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking a drug of dependence for trafficking MDMA and methamphetamine in April 2011

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