Crime kingpin Kazem Hamad’s brother Maytham suspected of key role in tobacco wars

Exiled organised crime kingpin Kazem Hamad might be 12,000km away from Victoria’s tobacco wars, but police believe his brother is playing a vital role on home soil.

The younger brother of exiled crime kingpin Kazem Hamad is suspected of running the Australian arm of his destructive empire.

The Herald Sun can reveal that Maytham Hamad, 29, is accused of “overseeing the onshore activities” of the Hamad syndicate while his brother calls the shots from the Middle East.

Court documents reveal that Maytham, who resides in Western Australia, is alleged to be a “high-ranking member” of the syndicate, operating as a national manager.

Lunar Taskforce detectives claim Kazem has been running his organised crime gang “through trusted associates” after he was deported from Australia in July last year.

But despite living on Australia’s west coast, Maytham is suspected of playing a key role in his brother’s campaign of firebombings, which have up-ended Melbourne’s underworld since March last year.

The allegations against Maytham emerged as the man accused of being the “regional operations manager” of the syndicate in Victoria, Majid Alibadi, 25, was granted bail last week.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Matthew Lindsay from the Lunar Taskforce had fiercely opposed Mr Alibadi being released from custody.

In the same court documents, he cited the dangers posed by the syndicate.

Police claim Kazem Hamad has been running his organised crime gang through trusted associates, such as his brother.

“The Hamad syndicate is significantly involved in extreme acts of violence up to and including murder; the importation and distribution of illicit tobacco (and) the extortions, attempted extortions and arsons related to the illicit tobacco industry,” he alleged.

Constable Lindsay also alleged the Hamad syndicate was involved in the “extreme violence” among warring Middle East organised crime gangs, particularly the Haddara syndicate and the Marrogi syndicate, as they fight for control of the lucrative illicit tobacco market.

During Mr Alibadi’s bail application, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard he flew first class last year with Maytham to Dubai in July and Iraq in October.

Kazem was based in Dubai before he was deported to his native Iraq, where he is now suspected of “orchestrating the criminality of the Hamad syndicate”.

In February 2019, Maytham was charged by homicide detectives after an 18-month investigation into the death of Anwar Teriaki.

Teriaki was chased through streets in Melbourne’s north before being bashed with a baseball bat then shot dead in the porch of a Roxburgh Park house.

Maytham was charged with murder, but two years ago pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of intentionally causing injury.

Kazem Hamad (left) at the footy with Toby Mitchell when he was in Australia. Picture: Instagram

The man accused of pulling the trigger, feared underworld figure Ahmed Al Hamza, was found not guilty of murdering Teriaki.

Al Hamza is now in the Middle East and known to have stayed close to Kazem.

Unlike his brother, Maytham does not have a long criminal record.

He was an associate of Kadir Ors, a drug dealer fatally shot by crime boss George Marrogi at Campbellfield Plaza shopping centre in 2016.

Maytham was present at the shooting and engaged in a high-speed pursuit of Marrogi in which shots were exchanged on local streets.

He was born in Iraq and came to Australia at age four with his family.

His family went back to Iraq in 2005, but returned to Australia in late 2015.

Kazem, who had stayed in Melbourne, was by then regarded as a significant Middle Eastern organised crime figure linked to drug trafficking and crimes of violence.

He had connections with powerful bikies and was regarded as one of the state’s most significant police targets.