An alleged criminal kingpin, described as the mastermind of Australia's illicit tobacco trade, has been dramatically arrested in Iraq following an official request from Australian authorities.
The Defiant Final Interview
In the days leading to his capture, Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al-Hajami, widely known as Kaz Hamad, launched into a defiant 45-minute interview with controversial crime reporter Ryan Naumenko. During the conversation, published on Outlaw Media and YouTube, Hamad boasted of his loyalty to his 'boys' in Australia and expressed utter contempt for police informants, or 'rats'.
"Do you know my outgoing is $220,000 a month to my boys," Hamad told Naumenko. He claimed his staunch loyalty set him apart, stating, "No one's loyal like us." He was unapologetic about his criminal pursuits and stated he was not afraid to return to jail, having previously served extended sentences for assault, armed robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and drug dealing.
A Reign of Fire and Fear
Hamad is suspected by police of being the warlord responsible for countless firebombings of rival tobacco shops across Victoria, a conflict dubbed the 'Tobacco War' which escalated from March 2023. His alleged criminal enterprise is also linked to a bungled arson attack that led to the tragic death of innocent Point Cook woman, Katie Tangey, in 2023.
Detective Inspector Chris Murray of the Arson and Explosives Squad previously stated that Ms Tangey had "nothing to do with the illegal tobacco trade" and that the attackers had simply got the wrong address. Police further suspect Hamad of ordering the executions of rivals, including Sam 'The Punisher' Abdulrahim.
International Capture and Fallout
Iraqi law enforcement officers swooped on Hamad last week "in response to an official request from Australia." The arrest sent shockwaves through the Melbourne underworld. Newly installed Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed Hamad had been the AFP's "number one target."
"This arrest is a significant disruption to an alleged serious criminal and his alleged criminal enterprise in Australia," Commissioner Barrett said. She clarified that Iraqi officials made an independent decision to arrest Hamad after launching their own criminal investigation based on information provided by the AFP late last year.
Despite his recent attempts to distance himself and his associates from an arson attack on a Ripponlea synagogue, telling the Herald Sun "Whoever did this, it’s not me," his reign appears to be over. For now, the man who claimed to fear nothing but Mossad is behind bars, facing the consequences of his alleged transcontinental criminal empire.
