The arrest of exiled underworld figure Kazem Hamad has been hailed by Australian authorities as a major disruption to an alleged offshore criminal network but big questions remain about extradition and what it means for Victoria’s illicit tobacco crackdown.
Iraqi authorities have arrested Kazem Hamad, an Australian law enforcement target linked to Victoria’s violent illicit tobacco conflict after what officials said was a drug investigation launched in response to a request from Australia.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the arrest followed a months long international effort including deploying personnel offshore to gather intelligence.
She said the AFP provided information to Iraqi law enforcement late last year and that Iraqi officials then made an independent decision to arrest the alleged offender as part of their own investigation.
Barrett has previously described Hamad as her number one target and a national security threat, linking him to a series of suspected arson attacks tied to the illegal tobacco trade.
Barrett also said the man was a person of interest in an investigation into the alleged politically motivated arson attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue.
Iraq’s National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation identified the arrested man as Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al Hajami and said proceedings were initiated by the First Karkh Investigation Court which it said specialises in drug cases.
The Iraqi statement alleged the man was responsible for importing large quantities of drugs into Iraq and Australia and smuggling heroin alongside other alleged organised crime activity.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush welcomed the arrest, saying police would keep working with the AFP and international partners.
The arrest lands as Victoria prepares to tighten regulation of tobacco retailing with enforcement of the state’s licensing scheme due to begin in February 2026.
Under the scheme, retailers and wholesalers must hold a licence to sell tobacco with the government saying it is designed to squeeze illicit operators and limit organised crime influence in the market.
The Attorney General’s Department would not confirm whether Hamad would be extradited, citing a longstanding policy of not disclosing whether extradition requests have been made or received.
Human rights lawyer Greg Barns told that the matter now sits with Iraqi courts and that allegations do not remove the presumption of innocence.
