Iraq hands life sentence to Australia-based drug trafficker

Iraq's judiciary announced on Tuesday that it sentenced Kazem Hamad, notorious for drug trafficking in Australia, to life in prison.

The National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC) said that the trafficking sentence handed down by the Karkh criminal court also includes "the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets in accordance with the law".

Hamad was deported from Australia to Iraq in 2023, and was arrested in January this year "in response to an official request from Australia", the NCIJC said.

The Australian Federal Police said in a statement that the NCIJC had informed them that "a life sentence had been handed down against an individual of interest to Australian authorities", noting "the work of our important partner".

The NCIJC said that Hamad "is considered one of the most wanted individuals by Iraqi and international judiciaries", adding that he had smuggled "large quantities of narcotics" into Iraq and Australia.

He is also "linked to transnational organised crime gangs involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, kidnapping, extortion, and organised violence", the NCIJC said.

In February, following a visit to Iraq, the Australian police said they were providing "relevant operational information" on Hamad's activities in Australia, where he was believed to be "operating in five states and one territory".