Underworld kingpin Kaz Hamad’s gang gets a new name

1 month ago 18

The gangland crew run by underworld kingpin Kazem “Kaz” Hamad have begun referring to themselves as the “313s” in an apparent nod of loyalty to their leader, and as a symbol of their fierceness.

Underworld sources say various members of Hamad’s gang have been getting the number tattooed on their chests and forearms as a sign of dedication to their leader, who has become one of the most powerful criminals in Australia in recent years.

Kazem Hamad was recently declared a national security threat by AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett.

Since his release from prison in July 2023 and deportation to his native Iraq, Hamad and his gang have taken control of large sections of the illicit tobacco market and forced a new order on Melbourne’s gangland scene.

The number is a reference in Sunni and Shiite theology. There were 313 men who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Badr in AD 624, and this same number of soldiers – according to Shiite belief – will wage war again alongside the 12th Shiite Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, in an apocalyptic battle before the Day of Judgment.

Hamad, according to materials tendered at his 2019 sentencing for drug trafficking, identifies as a Shiite Muslim. The 41-year-old now runs a cartel that is the dominant force in Australia’s multibillion-dollar illicit tobacco trade following a two-year tobacco war during which there were more than 200 arson attacks, multiple shootings and several murders in Melbourne.

Previously, Hamad’s crew were known in criminal circles as “Kaz’s boys” or “The Iraqis”, the latter because a core group of his lieutenants and soldiers were born in Iraq or have parents who immigrated to Australia from Iraq. Hamad was born in Iraq but migrated with his family to Australia when he was a teenager.

According to police intelligence tendered to court in a bail hearing in 2024, Hamad’s gang members refer to the boss as “old mate”.

The number 313 has previously been used by others in the underworld, with a Shiite-oriented group known as Al-Salam-313 operating in Western Europe along similar lines to an outlaw motorcycle gang.

A “313” tattoo is also popular among some Muslims keen to show their adherence to the faith, further muddying the waters about who may or may not be a part of Hamad’s nationwide syndicate. Its adoption is also disturbing for the faithful who disagree with the use of a religious belief as a gang sign.

A Victoria Police source said it appeared the use of the name originated from members of Hamad’s gang as a sign of loyalty.

Said Dr Rachel Woodlock, deputy director of the National Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne: “What the number is invoking is the idea of true, loyal Muslims, supporting the Mahdi in an end-times battle.

“There is probably much to be said about the psychology of gang/cult leaders invoking fantasies of the apocalypse and using symbolism to inculcate a bond of loyalty (even as fighters to the death, so to speak).”

Woodlock said a Christian parallel could be South American cartel members invoking the Santa Muerte mythology.

Underworld sources say Hamad’s gang could number as many as 100 dedicated members and associates across Australia and in the Middle East. Dozens more street gang members and unaffiliated criminals have been “contracted” to carry out arson attacks in the tobacco war via anonymous apps and encrypted communications.

Hamad and his gang have taken control of large sections of the illicit tobacco market.

“There’s an old saying: Don’t f--- with anyone who’s got money,” a source said.

The gang has acquired a reputation for lavishly rewarding its members, including first-class travel, luxury cars, and top-notch lawyers when they are arrested.

“The Hamad syndicate are responsible for a significant number of serious offences including arsons, extortions [and] shootings linked to the illicit tobacco trade as well as the importation and distribution of illicit tobacco,” one police intelligence report says.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police declined to comment on the 313 branding of the gang.

But law enforcement sources say Hamad has rocketed to the top of the list of “Australian priority organisation targets”, a designation used by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission for the most significant organised crime groups in the country.

Hamad was recently declared a national security threat by AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett over his involvement in the illicit tobacco industry, links to serious violence and suspected involvement in a terror attack on the Australian Jewish community in December 2024 on behalf of the Iranian government.

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