Deported from Australia in 2023, Hamad has been convicted of drug trafficking by a Baghdad court. He had long been identified as a key person of interest in Melbourne’s tobacco wars and several firebombing investigations
Kazem Hamad, once regarded as one of Melbourne’s most influential organised crime figures, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Iraqi court after being convicted of international drug trafficking.
Hamad, also known as Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al-Hajami, was deported from Australia in 2023 and arrested in Iraq earlier this year following a lengthy investigation supported by the Australian Federal Police.
Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said the sentence was imposed by the Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad.
Iraqi authorities allege Hamad was responsible for importing large quantities of narcotics into Iraq and Australia, including heroin, and had links to transnational criminal networks involved in money laundering, murder, kidnapping, extortion and organised violence.
Described as One of the Most Dangerous Wanted Men
In an official statement, the Iraqi judicial cooperation centre described Hamad as one of the most wanted individuals sought by national and international authorities.
Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council had previously labelled him “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world”.
Authorities also linked him to major organised crime groups operating in Australia, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.
The life sentence represents a significant result for international cooperation between Australian and Iraqi law-enforcement agencies.
Arrest Followed Operation Carmen
Hamad’s arrest was announced in January after the AFP provided intelligence to Iraqi authorities in late 2025.
The investigation formed part of Operation Carmen, a months-long AFP operation targeting the criminal network Hamad was accused of leading or influencing even after his deportation.
The Australian Federal Police confirmed it had been informed of the Iraqi court’s decision.
“The AFP notes the work of our important partner,” a spokesperson said, adding that further comment would be provided at an appropriate time.
Alleged Role in Melbourne’s Tobacco Wars
Hamad had long been a key person of interest in investigations into Melbourne’s so-called tobacco wars.
The prolonged conflict involved firebombings, threats, extortion and attacks against tobacco stores and other businesses across Victoria.
In Victorian court proceedings, police alleged Hamad may have orchestrated attacks against rivals and shop owners who refused to pay money demanded by his alleged enforcers.
The extortion payments became known in Melbourne’s criminal underworld as the “Kaz tax”.
His alleged involvement in individual Australian attacks has been the subject of police investigations. The Iraqi conviction, however, relates specifically to drug trafficking.
Investigated Over Synagogue Firebombing
Senior police had also confirmed that Hamad was being examined as part of the investigation into the December 2024 firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue.
There is no indication in the available information that he has been convicted in relation to that incident.
The AFP suspects the syndicate linked to Hamad operates across five Australian states and one territory, suggesting a criminal reach far beyond Melbourne’s illegal tobacco market.
Arrest Sparked Infighting
A month after Hamad was detained, the AFP said his arrest had triggered internal conflict within the criminal syndicate he was accused of leading.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett described Hamad as her “number one target”.
When releasing an image of him in Iraqi custody, she issued a direct warning to those allegedly connected to his network.
“I want every offender connected to Hamad or his syndicate to look long and hard at this photo,” Commissioner Barrett said.
She also stressed that his arrest did not mark the end of the AFP’s work.
Investigators believe his deportation and subsequent detention created a power vacuum, prompting rival figures to compete for control of criminal activities.
Burke: “He Thought He Was Out of Reach”
Following Hamad’s arrest, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the operation demonstrated that leaving Australia did not place organised crime figures beyond the reach of authorities.
“He thought he was offshore, he was out of reach. Well, he wasn’t,” Burke said.
The minister described Hamad as a figure at the apex of a major criminal network, claiming that multiple organised crime investigations in Australia continued to lead back to the same individual.
The Iraqi life sentence reinforces the warning that Australian criminal organisations can still be targeted when their senior figures operate from overseas.
From Teenage Migrant to Underworld Figure
Hamad arrived in Australia from Iraq with his family in the late 1990s while still a teenager.
Over the following 15 years, authorities allege he developed into a major organised crime figure and surrounded himself with prominent members of the Australian underworld.
His influence was allegedly built through drug trafficking, extortion and connections with groups operating across several states.
His deportation in 2023 did not immediately end his alleged influence over Australian criminal networks.
The AFP continued monitoring his activities and working with overseas authorities, ultimately contributing to his arrest and prosecution in Iraq.
A Major International Sentence
The life sentence closes one part of the legal action against Hamad but does not end investigations into the wider network allegedly connected to him.
Authorities must now determine which members remain active, who may have attempted to take control after his arrest and which financial or criminal links still connect Australia to overseas operations.
The judgment delivered in Baghdad is a major blow to organised crime and a clear warning to those who believe distance provides protection.
Deportation does not guarantee freedom, and international criminal networks can only be dismantled through equally strong international cooperation.
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