A man once described by Victoria Police as a central figure in Melbourne’s organised crime networks has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in Iraq. Kazem Hamad, who was deported from Australia in 2023, was convicted on drug trafficking charges by the Iraqi court, according to reports from Iraqi judicial authorities.
The sentencing marks a significant new chapter in a saga that has spanned two countries and more than a decade of law enforcement attention, though it raises fresh questions for Victorians about how deportation and foreign justice systems intersect with cases that began on local streets.
Who is Kazem Hamad #
Hamad’s name became familiar to Victorians through years of Victoria Police operations targeting organised crime networks linked to drug trafficking, extortion and violent standover tactics across Melbourne. He was not an Australian citizen, having arrived in the country as a refugee, and it was this migration status that ultimately allowed the Commonwealth to pursue his removal under character grounds provisions of the Migration Act once his visa was cancelled.
Victoria Police and the Australian Border Force have previously said in statements that individuals assessed as posing an ongoing risk to community safety, including those linked to serious and organised crime, can have their visas cancelled and face removal from Australia regardless of how long they have lived in the country. Hamad was deported in 2023 following the cancellation of his visa, a decision that was the subject of legal challenges prior to his removal.
What the Iraqi court found #
According to reports out of Iraq, the court there convicted Hamad of drug trafficking offences under Iraqi law and imposed a sentence of life imprisonment. VCN has not independently verified the full detail of the Iraqi proceedings, and the Iraqi judicial system operates under different laws, standards of evidence and appeal rights to those in Victoria.
It is understood the case against Hamad in Iraq was separate to any matters previously before Australian courts, and reporting from the region indicates the conviction relates to conduct alleged to have occurred after his return to Iraq. Readers should note that court processes and sentencing frameworks in Iraq differ substantially from Victoria’s, including in relation to appeal rights and parole eligibility, and VCN will continue to seek confirmation of further detail as it becomes available through official channels.
The road to deportation #
Hamad’s removal from Australia followed a lengthy and closely watched legal process. Visa cancellations on character grounds under section 501 of the Migration Act have become an increasingly common tool used by the Commonwealth against non-citizens with links to alleged organised crime activity, even where those individuals have lived in Australia for most of their lives or arrived as children.
Hamad’s case attracted significant attention in Melbourne given the scale of the organised crime network he was allegedly connected to, and the fact his removal effectively ended years of Victoria Police investigative interest in his activities within the state. His legal team argued at the time against deportation, citing his long residency and personal circumstances, but those challenges were ultimately unsuccessful and he was removed to Iraq.
Why this matters for Victoria #
For Victorian readers, the case illustrates how the deportation of non-citizens assessed as high-risk offenders does not necessarily end their involvement in criminal activity — it simply relocates the jurisdiction in which any future offending is prosecuted. Victoria Police has repeatedly said in statements that disrupting organised crime networks often requires cooperation with federal agencies including the Australian Federal Police and Border Force, given the transnational nature of drug trafficking operations.
Community safety advocates and legal commentators have previously noted that while deportation can remove an individual from Australian soil, it does not always resolve the underlying networks and associates that may continue operating domestically. Victoria Police has not suggested Hamad’s removal led to the dismantling of any broader network, and any such assessment would be a matter for ongoing investigation rather than this masthead to speculate upon.
Context: organised crime and deportation trends #
Hamad’s case sits within a broader pattern of Commonwealth action against non-citizens linked to alleged organised crime in Victoria. In recent years, authorities have pursued visa cancellations against a number of individuals with alleged connections to outlaw motorcycle gangs, drug importation syndicates and money laundering operations based in Melbourne.
Advocacy groups representing migrants and refugees have raised concerns about the fairness of the character test process, particularly for individuals who arrived in Australia as children or young refugees and have limited remaining ties to their country of origin. These concerns have been raised in parliamentary committee hearings and are a matter of ongoing public debate, separate from the specific facts of Hamad’s case.
Victoria Police has consistently maintained in public statements that its priority is community safety, and that cooperation with Commonwealth immigration and border authorities forms part of a broader strategy to reduce the harm caused by organised crime groups operating in the state.
What happens now #
It remains unclear whether Hamad’s legal representatives in Iraq intend to appeal the life sentence, and VCN understands the matter may be subject to further judicial review under Iraqi law. We have sought to clarify the appeal timeline and will update this report as further confirmed details emerge from official sources.
Because the matter was heard and determined entirely within the Iraqi legal system, Victorian and Australian courts have no ongoing jurisdiction over the case. Victoria Police has not indicated it intends to make any further public statement on the matter, given Hamad is no longer within Australian jurisdiction.
This masthead will continue to monitor developments in the case, including any appeal proceedings in Iraq, and will report further confirmed details as they become available through official channels.
This article is based on reports of proceedings in a foreign jurisdiction. VCN has sought to characterise those reports with appropriate caution given the differences between Iraqi and Victorian legal systems.
Readers seeking information about organised crime or suspicious activity in their community can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Anyone affected by issues raised in this article, including family members impacted by a relative’s criminal history or deportation, can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 for support.
