Overview
- Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said Hamad was detained in coordination with the Interior Ministry’s narcotics directorate after approvals from the Supreme Judicial Council.
- The Iraqi statement labeled him “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world” and alleged large‑scale drug importation into Iraq and Australia, including heroin smuggling.
- The arrest followed an official request from Australia, though the Australian Federal Police have declined public comment.
- Australian agencies have treated Hamad as a priority target, with the AFP commissioner calling him a national security threat over alleged control of illicit tobacco and suspected links to violent attacks, including the 2024 synagogue firebombing.
- Police reporting says that since his 2023 deportation to Iraq, Hamad’s network has been suspected of seizing major portions of Victoria’s illicit tobacco market, prompting responses such as Victoria Police’s Taskforce Lunar.