Kazem Hamad, the former Melbourne organised crime kingpin and alleged tobacco czar, just got a life sentence from an Iraqi court. The Karkh Criminal Court nailed him for drug trafficking, with his assets seized on the spot 🌐. Known as one of the most wanted by Iraqi and international courts, Hamad was deported from Australia in 2023 but allegedly kept the illegal cigarette supply flowing.
The Australian Federal Police weren’t spilling too many details, directing questions to the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC). The NCIJC laid it out: “He’s responsible for smuggling massive amounts of heroin into Iraq and Australia, tied up with transnational crime gangs involved in everything from money laundering to murder.”
Hamad’s brother, Maytham Hamad, 31, was also nabbed late last year in Perth, charged with dealing in over a million dollars in crime proceeds. The pair were deep into an illicit tobacco and money-laundering network across WA, Victoria, and NSW.