Overview
- Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said Hamad, identified as Kadhim Malik Hamad Rabah al‑Hajami, was detained after an official request from Australia.
- The Iraqi statement describes him as "one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world" and alleges large‑scale drug importation and heroin smuggling involving Iraq and Australia.
- AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Iraqi authorities made an independent arrest in their criminal probe after the AFP provided information late last year, calling the move a significant disruption.
- Hamad was deported from Australia in 2023 and is widely reported as a central figure in the illicit tobacco trade, with police linking his syndicate to arson, extortion and shootings in Victoria.
- He has been a person of interest in multiple firebombing investigations, including the 2025 attack that killed Katie Tangey and the 2024 Adass Israel synagogue blaze, and his extradition prospects remain unclear.