Iddy Omari had been dubbed “hatman” by the team of detectives who pursued him, a moniker derived from his silhouetted figure and signature black hat caught on grainy CCTV footage.
Months later, after Omari’s arrest in a counter-terror swoop, the “hatman” would become a key figure in unearthing what the state described as a deeply rooted Islamic State terror cell operating on South African soil.