Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad, the Aussie crime kingpin behind a gangland tobacco war, just got life in an Iraqi jail. The Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq confirmed the sentence on Tuesday for drug trafficking and a laundry list of other charges: money laundering, murder, kidnapping, extortion, and organised violence.
Iraqi cops nabbed Hamad back in January, suspecting him of running organised crime ops from the Middle East to Australia. He was one of the most wanted men by Iraqi and international courts, known for smuggling massive amounts of heroin into Iraq and Oz 🚩.
Hamad's crew was behind some high-profile firebombings in Victoria, intimidating tobacco store owners with threats and a so-called 'Kaz Tax'. Some shop owners were so spooked they sold up and moved out. Police reckon he might've even had a hand in the arson attack on Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue last December and the death of Sam 'The Punisher' Abdulrahim.
Following his arrest, AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigations are still rollin'. The syndicate's tentacles stretch across five states and one territory in Australia. An AFP spokesperson noted: "The AFP was informed by the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation that a life sentence had been handed down against an individual of interest to Australian authorities."