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An image of tobacco kingpin Kazem “Kaz” Hamad claiming to show him in custody in a secret location in Iraq has been released by the Australian Federal Police as part of its investigation into the activities of the man who allegedly launched the “tobacco war”.
It’s the first official information about Hamad’s circumstances since news of his arrest in Baghdad was announced in mid-January by the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq.
Hamad had been labelled by Iraqi authorities as “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world” in their press release announcing his capture for alleged links to crimes including “shootings, murders, kidnappings, violent assaults, extortion and drug imports”.
The 41-year-old, of whom no photo more recent than 2015 had been published, appears thinner than in the small number of images that have been circulating in the media since the start of the tobacco war.
In the image, Hamad, also known as “old mate” and “Abu Samir”, is dressed in a T-shirt and yellow prison garb and is holding a printed sign with his personal and arrest details in Arabic.
This masthead could not independently verify the authenticity of the image, which was provided to the AFP by Iraqi authorities.
It depicts Hamad in front of a height chart, a standard format for mugshots. But the numbers appear out of sequence and scale, suggesting he could be up to nine feet tall.
Other details that raised concern about the image’s authenticity include aspects of Hamad’s hands and shirt neckline, raising the possibility it could have been digitally altered or the product of artificial intelligence.
The AFP said it had not altered the image and was not aware of any alteration.
The sign in the image confirms Hamad, who was born in the city of Nasiriya, about 360 kilometres south-east of Baghdad, is being prosecuted over narcotic offences.
Since his release from prison in Australia 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 image came with a warning from AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett directed at Hamad’s syndicate, known on the street as the 313s, Kaz’s Boys or the Iraqis.
“I want every offender connected to Hamad or his syndicate to look long and hard at this photo,” Barrett said. “And I want to be very clear – just because Hamad is in custody, the AFP’s job is not done.”
Hamad has become the subject of a special AFP investigative taskforce known as Operation Carmen.
This follows a two-year operation by Victoria Police known as Taskforce Lunar, which was set up just months after Hamad’s release from prison in the wake of a string of firebombings, two murders and an attempted grave desecration allegedly linked to him.
“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 Victoria Police intelligence report obtained by this masthead says.
Barrett said Hamad, whose full name is Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al-Hajami, had been arrested as a result of an “independent decision” by the Iraqi judiciary.
It is the first time federal law enforcement has mentioned Hamad by name despite essentially publicly identifying him as a national security threat during a Senate estimates hearing last year.
The move came after foreign intelligence linked him to the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in the inner Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea in December 2024. The attack is believed to have been ordered by the Iranian government and carried out by Hamad’s foot soldiers.
The AFP also confirmed that Hamad’s syndicate has a near nationwide presence in five states and one territory, although they were not named.
“The AFP is supporting this independent Iraqi investigation and is providing relevant operational information that relates to crimes the AFP believe Hamad or his syndicate have committed or directed in Australia,” Barrett said.
Federal investigators travelled to Iraq last week to “provide further assistance” and received information in return from local authorities.
Barrett said Hamad’s syndicate had begun to fracture since his arrest, from “a lack of leadership, infighting, and dysfunction”.
“The AFP will use every partnership, capability, and legislative power to dismantle this dangerous syndicate and identify every single individual who is linked to this crime gang.”
The underworld has been rife with wild rumours about Hamad’s conditions, including everything from allegations of torture to claims he was set to walk free.
The AFP said the picture had been taken by Iraqi authorities and released with the permission of Iraq’s National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation.
Members of the public with information to share about Hamad or the syndicate can call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
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