Detectives believe the men broke into Preston General Cemetery shortly before 5am on July 30.
The men failed to remove the body from the crypt, but stole a diamond ring from the corpse, which had significant value.
(The Age)
Police believe the men accessed the mausoleum by damaging an external window.
There was no damage to any other crypts within the mausoleum.
Police have been in contact with a nominated liaison person to the deceased’s family as they investigate the “targeted attack”.
“The (men) attempted to access the casket, in doing so they managed to break a glass window in the coffin and they removed a diamond ring of substantial value,” Detective Inspector Graham Banks said last year.
“However, police do not believe theft was their motivating reason for their attendance that day, the motivating reason we believe was the removal of the body from the mausoleum and take it away.
“We don’t have clarity of what the purpose of taking it away was for but certainly it was to cause friction and hurt to the brother of Meshilin, who is George Marrogi.”
Marrogi is serving a 32-year jail term for the murder of an underworld rival.
The men are yet to be identified, and have been described as wearing gas masks, hooded jumpers and dark clothing at the time of the incident.
Police believe one of the men had a larger build and one had a smaller build.
It’s believed the men were reportedly seen in the area around 3.30am and 5am on the morning of the incident driving a dark coloured Mini Cooper.
An information caravan will be set-up at the Preston Cemetery on Plenty Road in Bundoora today as part of the ongoing investigation.
Investigators are also keen to speak to anyone who may have information about the incident, who was responsible and what the potential motive was.
