Deported crime boss Kazem Hamad blamed for chaos in Melbourne’s organised crime world

Kazem Hamad is being blamed for much of the chaos engulfing Melbourne’s organised crime scene, despite being deported half a world away, with one detective saying, “he’s more trouble than when we f----d him off”.

Exiled gangland wildcard Kazem Hamad has emerged as one of Melbourne’s most powerful crime bosses, months after being freed from jail.

Hamad – who was deported to Iraq in the middle of this year – is blamed for much of the chaos which has since engulfed Melbourne’s organised crime scene.

Police and underworld sources say he is the instigator of the tobacco warfare which has raged since March and his menace is now being felt interstate.

Shop firebombings and an increased police focus have cost Australia’s biggest outlaw smoke syndicate huge money as Hamad threatens its longstanding control of the sector.

He is suspected of ordering other violent crimes, including non-fatal shootings – carried out by his Melbourne loyalists since being banished from Australia.

Police have also investigated whether Hamad was involved in the desecration of the crypt of Meshlin Marrogi, the sister of Notorious Crime Family gang boss and arch-enemy George Marrogi.

Kaz Hamad (left) at the MCG with Toby Mitchell and Mongol bikie Tyrone Bell. Picture: Instagram

A suppression order on his identity expired on Tuesday, allowing the full extent of his outlaw activities to be published.

Iraqi-born Hamad, 39, is a feared veteran of Melbourne’s Middle-east organised crime world who has been investigated over murder, international drug trafficking, arson, extortion, serious assaults and witness tampering.

He has a criminal history which stretches beyond 20 pages and finished a prison stretch for high-level heroin importing offences earlier this year, before immediately being deported.

But if authorities thought the Iraqi-born Hamad would cease being a problem once he was sent home, they were mistaken.

“He’s more trouble than when we f----d him off,” one detective said.

Victoria Police’s top anti-gangs investigator detective Insp. Graham Banks did not use names at a press conference on the Meshilin Marrogi case last week but it was clear he addressed Hamad’s potential involvement and general influence here.

“We’ve had consistent information since this incident occurred that a male who is overseas has directed this incident,” Insp. Banks said.

Hamad shows off his sports car. Picture: Supplied

“He’s a person of substantial criminal background. He’s no longer a resident of Australia. We believe that he’s leading a significant criminal enterprise that’s impacting not just Victoria but other states.”

Hamad has joined a collection of other ex-Melbourne criminals calling the shots from thousands of kilometres away.

One of them is suspected of being Ahmed Al Hamza, who left Australia in the middle of last year and also remains a force back here.

Al Hamza has been tight with Hamad for many years and the pair are believed to still be combining their resources.

Both have plenty of support in Melbourne and are involved in the illicit tobacco trade which has become a powder keg in Melbourne and forced police to set up a specialised taskforce to curb a wave of arsons.

Hamad and Al Hamza have moved in on the existing top syndicate, eroding its dominance and sparking about 30 tobacco shop torchings.

Non-fatal shootings have been linked to the friction and police are investigating whether the August murder of underworld figure Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar was brought about by his heavy involvement in illicit tobacco.

Ahmed Al Hamza (right) pictured in Dubai, has been tight with Hamad for many years. Picture: Supplied

Keshtiar had been a player in the syndicate which, up until Hamad’s interference, had enjoyed a near-monopoly in the sector.

It took four years from arrest to verdict for Hamad to be convicted over his role in the northern suburbs drug trafficking syndicate which eventually led to his deportation.

In 2019, he was sentenced to eight years behind bars for his part in the operation, after being busted handing a bag of heroin to undercover officers.

At his sentencing, Judge Douglas Trapnell described Hamad, then aged 30 and living in Docklands, as a “middle man” who was responsible for organising couriers to transport the drug to various locations across Melbourne.

Hamad was regarded as a trusted figure among other members of the syndicate, Judge Trapnell referring to him as a “facilitator” of major drops.

This was highlighted by his fellow criminals handing him amounts of up to $220,000 in cash as part of a role which Judge Trapnell said “went beyond simply organising couriers to transport drugs”.

“This was a significant enough role in the syndicate and one which was necessary and which you were happy to fulfil,” Judge Trapnell said.

“You played a significant enough role in a highly sophisticated criminal enterprise.”

Hamad’s DNA was found all over a sealed bag that contained a kilo of heroin when he passed it to the undercover cop outside a Campbellfield restaurant before police arrested him two days later on December 17, 2014.

George Marrogi founded the Notorious Crime Family gang.

Police have also investigated whether Hamad was involved in the desecration of Meshlin Marrogi’s crypt.

His sentence was ultimately lessened when he helped police find a cache of weapons stashed in a drain, including an assault rifle, a handgun and a military hand grenade.

This was described as a “valuable service to the community” which Judge Trapnell took into account during sentencing.

Hamad arrived in Australia as a refugee when he was 14-years-old after his family, who are Shiite Muslims, fled Saddam Hussein’s regime.

He committed his first crime at age 18 and was a major target for organised crime detectives by the time he was picked up over his role in the heroin syndicate.

At that point, he is believed to have had ties with the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang.

Hamad has been a person of interest for police investigating the 2010 shooting murder at Hadfield of 23-year-old Sameh Matar.

Mr Matar, who had an extensive criminal background, was on bail for drug trafficking when he went to the East St shops on the night of July 24.

He told his sister he would be back in 10 minutes.

Soon after, a caller to Crime Stoppers said a group of 10 men had been standing in the street when two or three of them rushed a man standing alone.

Within about 15 minutes, Mr Matar was driven into the emergency parking area of the Northern Hospital at Epping.

Two men and a passer-by helped him inside the building, where he died at 10.30pm.

Police later found Mr Matar had received 50 phone calls in a three-hour period that day.

State Coroner Sara Hinchey in 2017 found she could not identify who had killed him.

Hamad could not be contacted for comment.