A crime boss who fled to Iraq after an attempt on his life is feared dead.
Kamaran Khader’s friend told how he disappeared after a string of threats.
Khader, who headed a £28million cigarette smuggling ring, fled to Iraq after a gunman fired at him in Greenock in May, 2020.
The assassin missed and the bullet hit a parked car.
But Khader’s friend fears whoever gave the order has managed to finish the job.
Khader, 40, was arrested in Iraq along with three pals over firearm offences.
They were paraded in front of the media in orange jail jumpsuits after their arrests, which followed a showdown meeting linked to the feud, involving rivals from Glasgow.
Khader paid thousands for bail and, once freed, moved to Sulaymaniyah to look after his ill parents.
Last year, we revealed Iraqi court documents showed gangsters behind the 2020 shooting planned to have him killed abroad.
Earlier this year, he was due to give evidence in a Scots court case against a man said to have tried to extort £100,000 from him after sending him a bullet.
But the case was dropped in March after Khader and witnesses failed to appear.
The case can only be revealed now a reporting restriction has been lifted.
A friend said: “Kamaran was very scared to come to Scotland for the trial. He had been told not to come.
“There’s been no contact for months. He doesn’t answer calls and nobody heard anything.
"For all we know he is dead – he just completely disappeared.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland said inquiries were ongoing.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
