Kazem Hamad arrested in Iraq, declared ‘one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world’

Exiled gangland boss Kazem Hamad has been arrested by the Iraqi government on behalf of Australian law enforcement authorities after being labelled “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world”.

Rumours have been circulating in the underworld for more than 24 hours that the head of Australia’s most powerful illicit tobacco cartel had been detained in his native Iraq, where he had been accused of running a transnational crime empire worth billions of dollars.

The Australian Federal Police said it had deployed officers offshore for intelligence gathering and passed on information about Hamad to law enforcement agencies in Iraq late last year.

“Iraqi officials have made an independent decision to arrest this alleged offender after launching their own criminal investigation,” AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This arrest is a significant disruption to an alleged serious criminal and his alleged criminal enterprise in Australia.”

A statement from Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, posted online late on Tuesday, said Hamad had been arrested “in response to an official request from Australia”.

“The accused individual…was arrested in coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, after obtaining the necessary approvals from the Supreme Judicial Council to conduct investigations against him.

“The proceedings were initiated by the First Karkh Investigation Court, which specialises in drug cases,” the statement said, which has been translated from Arabic.

“The accused is one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world. He is responsible for importing large quantities of drugs into Iraq and Australia, as well as smuggling heroin.

“He is also involved with the most prominent organised crime gangs in Australia – Sydney, responsible for shootings, murders, kidnappings, violent assaults, extortion, and drug imports.

“Furthermore, he is involved with outlaw gangs that have extensive influence within Australia and the Middle East and are responsible for carrying out murders, shootings, money laundering, fraud, assaults, arson, and drug trafficking on a global level.”

The statement refers to Hamad as “Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al-Hajami”.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush welcomed news of the arrest.

“We will continue to work with the AFP and our international law enforcement partners to assist as required.

“Victoria Police is determined to drive down organised crime in this state and the havoc it wreaks on innocent members of the community.

“As the matter remains ongoing, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

Since his release from prison in July 2023 and deportation to Iraq, police suspect Hamad and his gang have taken control of large sections of the illicit tobacco market and forced a new order on Melbourne’s gangland scene.

“The Hamad syndicate are responsible for a significant number of serious offences, including arsons, extortions [and] shootings linked to the illicit tobacco trade as well as the importation and distribution of illicit tobacco,” a police intelligence report obtained by this masthead says.

Law enforcement sources say Hamad tops the list of “Australian priority organisation targets”, a designation used by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission for the most significant organised crime groups in the country.

During a recent Senate Estimates hearing, Barrett declared Hamad a national security threat over his involvement in the illicit tobacco industry, alleged links to serious violence and suspected involvement in the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in December 2024 on behalf of the Iranian government.

On Wednesday, Barrett once again referred to Hamad as her “No.1 target” and said “a number of significant events” had led to the AFP supercharging its efforts to apprehend him.

A source familiar with the law enforcement operations against Hamad said it was unclear whether the Australian government would be able to extradite Hamad to Australia or whether Iraqi authorities would continue to hold him.

Hamad had come to be regarded as almost untouchable in his base in Iraq, where he lives in a fortified compound and conducts business through encryption technology.

Hamad is suspected of having deep and influential links to the Iraqi security services, in part due to family connections and in part due to his massive wealth.

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