The brother of an exiled crime kingpin is behind bars in Perth after being arrested at his Mount Pleasant home.
Maytham Hamad, 29, was charged alongside Omar Hussein, Moey Ofi and Anita Lee McLean, with all appearing in court on Tuesday facing one count of receiving, possessing or dealing with any money or property that is the proceeds of an offence, with the offences alleged to have occurred between April and June this year.
Maytham Hamad.Credit: Nine News Perth
The arrests follow police carrying out multiple search warrants across the Perth metropolitan area, seizing more than a million cigarettes, thousands of vapes, hundreds of kilograms of tobacco and hundreds of thousands in cash.
Hamad’s brother Kazem is understood to be an organised crime figure believed to be involved in the illicit tobacco trade in Melbourne. More than 60 firebombings of tobacco stores and businesses have taken place in Victoria.
Kazem Hamad was deported to Iraq mid-last year, but Maytham has not been charged in connection with his brother’s dealings.
Maytham Hamad intends to plead not guilty.
He and his co-accused were refused bail.
The investigation is ongoing.
Nine News Perth