The alleged standover man helping fuel Melbourne’s tobacco wars

Foot soldiers of crime boss Kaz Hamad are being asked to capture their brazen antics on camera to send to their heavy hitter higher-ups as proof of their exploits as the tobacco wars rage on.

Tobacco war foot soldiers are capturing their brazen smoke shop extortions on camera to send to their heavy hitter bosses as proof of their exploits.

Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, the overseas crime boss suspected of being behind an extortion racket that has cemented his major share of the market, is understood to expect evidence that his attacks are being carried out.

Some of his alleged standover men are believed to be behind multiple extortions across the state.

Last week, Lunar task force detectives charged 23-year-old Doreen man Ahmad Al Essawi and an alleged accomplice, a 31-year-old man from Mickleham, for allegedly threatening a Wangaratta tobacconist to close down.

A court heard that the co-accused allegedly filmed Mr Al Essawi entering Ramseen Gifts on July 4 2023, where he told a worker that he would “burn this whole place” if he did not follow the order.

Kazem Hamad is suspected of being the overseas crime boss behind an extortion racket. Picture: Supplied

Mr Al Essawi allegedly told the worker: “Your people are f---ing around with my f---ing people”.

“You gotta close down right now. We’re Iraqis, we’re down from Melbourne, we’ve come here to take over this shop.”

On July 27 that year, two other men were seen setting the Murphy St store alight.

But the Herald Sun can reveal that was not the first time alleged criminal dealings on behalf of Hamad were being filmed.

The Herald Sun in September obtained chilling footage of a man claiming to work for Hamad delivering threatening demands to a worker at a tobacconist in Melbourne’s north.

Ahmad Al Essawi, 23, allegedly threatened to burn down a tobacco shop in Wangaratta. Picture: Supplied

The man in that confrontation branded himself as “one of Kaz’s boys” before allegedly ordering the worker to call Hamad to arrange payments to stop his shop from being burned down.

“Make sure you call them, ‘cause if you don’t …” he allegedly said.

Hamad has been living in the Middle East since he was deported in 2023 after serving time in prison for high-level heroin trafficking.

But Mr Al Essawi is accused of being just one man in a network of men across the state who have been enlisted to carry out dealings on behalf of the exiled Hamad.

The Haddara family, led by patriarch Fadi Haddara, controlled most of the illicit trade for more than a decade until Hamad began moving in on its lucrative profits.

Those two warring clans are now battling with several parties angling for their own share of the market.

A man claiming to work for exiled kingpin Kazem “Kaz” Hamad visits the owner of a tobacconist in Melbourne’s north. Picture: supplied

Associates of Kazem “Kaz” Hamad are being asked to capture their brazen antics on camera. Picture: supplied

The Herald Sun last year revealed that brothers Dib and Hassan Barakat, fruit and vegetable wholesalers from Melbourne’s western suburbs, were major players in the tobacco war.

While Hamad’s prolific foot soldiers have allegedly continued their extortions, police intelligence suggested the Barakat brothers were now the main rival to the Haddaras’ illegal empire.

More than 125 firebombings and arsons have been linked to the fight for control over the black market smoke trade, causing at least $70m in damage to shops and restaurants linked to the underground market.

Mr Al Essawi returns to the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on February 24.

His co-accused was charged with 11 counts of possessing drugs of dependence, allegedly prescription drugs, and was bailed to appear at the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on May 27.