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Melbourne gangland boss Kazem “Kaz” Hamad has been sentenced to life in prison by Iraqi authorities as his crime network continues to wreak havoc on the city.
The Iraqi National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation confirmed in a statement published online that Hamad had been given a life sentence “for drug trafficking”.
“The convict is considered one of the most wanted individuals by Iraqi and international judiciaries,” the statement said.
“He is responsible for importing large quantities of narcotics into Iraq and Australia, smuggling heroin, and is linked to transnational organised crime gangs involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, kidnapping, extortion, and organised violence.”
Hamad has been in custody since he was arrested in January by Iraqi authorities on behalf of law enforcement in Australia.
News of his sentencing caught Australian law officials by surprise. The sudden announcement by Iraqi authorities came after a local trial.
Two police sources, with knowledge of Hamad but not authorised to speak publicly, said the crime boss was probably too high-profile to buy his way out of the system once the Iraqis had made the highly publicised announcement of his arrest, dubbing him one of the world’s most dangerous men.
The Australian Federal Police said in a statement about Hamad that they noted the work of their “important partner” but would not comment further. Victoria Police acknowledged the sentencing decision and said further inquiries should be directed to the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation.
However, there was quiet satisfaction by law enforcement officers who have been chasing Hamad and his 313 syndicate since it burst onto the scene three years ago.
A senior investigator, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “From the time Hamad was deported, he has directed numerous serious crimes of violence across Australia and overseen vast quantities of illicit drugs coming to our shores. He cared not if he used kids to commit the offences, or that innocent parties were caught up in the violence.
“His imprisonment, whilst significant, is far from the end of the violence by the group he led.
“But perhaps those directing their violence from the Middle East will sleep a little less easy for a while and understand there really is no truly safe haven.”
The result is likely to ratchet up pressure on prosecutors and politicians who have been traditionally reluctant to allow intelligence and information about the activities of offshore and expatriate criminals from being shared in jurisdictions where the death penalty is practised.
In its statement, the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq made it clear that assistance from Australia was central to the outcome.
“The centre also affirms its continued efforts to support international judicial co-operation and the exchange of information with partner countries, which contributes to the prosecution of those wanted by the judiciary, combating transnational organised crime networks, and strengthening the rule of law,” the media statement said.
Earlier this month, Victorian detectives called for a review of Australia’s historic refusal to provide information that could lead to the execution of criminals overseas as a way to fight the criminal gang.
This masthead previously reported that federal and state prosecutors, and the federal attorney-general, have refused to send prosecution briefs overseas for fear the alleged offenders could be executed by local authorities.
Last month, Detective Inspector Graham Banks urged law enforcement agencies across other jurisdictions to take a serious interest and invest time into understanding what offenders were doing.
“When you’ve got serious actors doing [what the gang is orchestrating], I think there should be a free flow of information.”
Hamad was deported to Iraq after his release from a Victorian prison in July 2023, rising to become a feared force in the Australian underworld despite being on the other side of the world.
Victorian police suspect Hamad and his gang have taken control of large sections of the illicit tobacco market, forcing a new order that has been enforced with extortion, firebombings and shootings.
The organised crime gang known as The Commission was formed by Hamad from a safe haven in Iraq, becoming the dominant force controlling Australia’s multibillion-dollar illicit tobacco market and large-scale drug importations.
Hamad has also allegedly been tied to the Adass Israel synagogue terrorist attack in December 2024, which was ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, now listed in Australia as a terrorist organisation.
The gang, also known as the 313, has been linked to dozens of other violent attacks, including shootings and murders – most recently a wave of firebombings on Melbourne’s bar and nightclub scene.
However, Hamad’s arrest has not been enough to stop the gang’s influence, with a new leader emerging and continuing to orchestrate their dominance in Melbourne’s crime scene.
The police sources say there is likely to be little power vacuum or noticeable change following the sentencing, as the new echelon of leadership had already taken over.
The puppeteer behind the “bar wars” fires has been identified as 23-year-old Ali al-Huseini, who took control of the command structure of the 313 earlier this year.
He was wanted by police on a 2022 warrant for the attempted murder of Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim, one of two gunmen who ambushed Abdulrahim outside Fawkner cemetery and shot him eight times.
Huseini fled to Iraq less than a day after the shooting, which Abdulrahim survived.
Since 2022, he has remained a trusted associate of Hamad and Ahmed al-Hamza, Hamad’s cousin and second-in-command. Hamza was arrested in Qatar last year in circumstances that remain unclear.
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