Deported Tobacco Kingpin Kazem Hamad Arrested in Iraq After Global Crime Crackdown
Good evening and we begin tonight with a major development in an international crime case that has long haunted Australia’s underworld.
Kazem Hamad, once a powerful figure in Melbourne’s illicit tobacco trade, has been arrested in Iraq. His detention comes years after he was deported from Australia and it signals a rare moment where overseas authorities have stepped in on behalf of Australian law enforcement.
Hamad, also known to police by several aliases, was a familiar name during what became known as Melbourne’s tobacco wars. Even after being removed from the country in 2023, investigators believed his influence never really disappeared. From abroad, he was suspected of pulling strings across borders, directing criminal activity from a distance and maintaining control through fear, money and encrypted communication.
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Now, Iraqi authorities say he has been arrested over alleged drug importation and smuggling. The move followed a formal request from Australia and was carried out through Iraq’s specialist narcotics units and courts that deal specifically with serious drug crime. Iraqi officials have described Hamad as an extremely dangerous international figure, accusing him of coordinating large-scale drug movements and maintaining ties to violent organised crime networks operating across Australia and the Middle East.
For Australian police, this arrest is significant. Hamad had been linked to extortion schemes targeting tobacco retailers, with businesses allegedly forced to pay protection money or face arson attacks. Those fires left streets damaged, livelihoods destroyed and communities shaken. Police also previously examined his alleged role in other serious incidents, including high-profile firebombings that raised national security concerns.
What makes this case even more complex is what happens next. Hamad is no longer an Australian citizen and it’s unclear whether he will ever face court proceedings in Australia. Extradition from Iraq is uncertain and authorities may instead pursue charges where he is currently being held. That legal limbo could take months, or longer, to resolve.
Still, the arrest sends a strong message. It shows how organised crime no longer hides behind borders the way it once did. Cooperation between countries is tightening and figures once seen as untouchable are finding fewer places to disappear.
For now, Kazem Hamad remains in custody overseas and investigators on both sides are watching closely. This case isn’t just about one man. It’s about the reach of organised crime, the damage it leaves behind and the growing effort to bring powerful players to account.
That’s the latest on this developing story and we’ll continue to follow it as more details emerge.
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