Thugs who ran people-smuggling ring from UK car wash named and shamed

Thugs who ran people-smuggling ring from UK car wash have been named and shamed.

A Welsh car wash – Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Caerphilly – appeared to be like any other successful establishment, but behind the scenes sinister actions were taking place.

Now two men have pleaded guilty and admitted running a people-smuggling ring of moving migrants across Europe. They moved people from Iran, Syria and Iraq through Turkey, Moldova, Belarus and Bosnia to Italy, France, Germany, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia.

Ali Khdir, 40, originally from Iran and Dilshad Shamo, 41, originally from Iraq admitted to their part in the elaborate scheme and were charged in February with five counts of conspiring to breach migration laws by bringing people into EU countries between September 2022 and April 2023.

The pair both appeared to be successful business owners but in fact operated an illegal business of moving migrants via their three tiers of services which included moving them by a small vehicle such as a HGV, cargo ships or yachts, planes or simply by foot.

The pair were uncovered after an undercover surveillance operation by National Crime Agency (NCA), supported by Gwent Police, which involved listening devices which were placed in the defendant’s cars and the car wash.

The two men pleaded guilty to all charges against them on Friday November 22 at Cardiff Crown Court after 10 days of prosecution evidence, the NCA said.

“Ali Khdir and Dilshad Shamo were leading a double life – while on the surface they seemed to be operating a successful car wash, they were actually part of a prolific people-smuggling group moving migrants across Europe and taking thousands in payment,” explained Derek Evans, NCA branch commander.

He continued: “Our evidence showed migrants moving under Khdir and Shamo made it to EU countries and we assess their journeys have and would have continued into the UK.

“We worked painstakingly to piece together their movements to prove their important roles in a group, from advertising their services through videos to boasting of successful trips on messaging groups.

“Tackling organised immigration crime is a top priority for the NCA and we will continue to do all we can to bring those involved in people-smuggling networks to justice.”

Evidence in the trial was provided from WhatsApp conversations which included voice messages between the pair with prosecutor Sarah Gaunt telling jurors of how the two communicated with other people based in Iraq, Turkey and Europe, hearing their attempts and plans to smuggle people across the EU.

Most of the people trafficked came from Iraq, Iran and Syria, and were charged money equating to several thousands of pounds, the court heard, with money being transferred for such arrangements via the ancient Hawala system of credit notes, with smaller amounts being sent through Western Union.

Shamo and Khdir used messaging and social media to provide videos from people who had already taken the journey to advertise their routes with one video showing a family travelling by plane and saying: “We are very happy… this is the visa, may god bless him, we are really happy.”

Gaunt told jurors that the defendants could be seen organising and liaising with a number of people to facilitate or attempt to facilitate illegal immigration. Shamo and Khdir were arrested in April 2023 and charged in February this year.

The NCA said that before being taken to custody, Khdir told Shamo: “Just tell them that we are buying and selling cars, just say we do transfer money from our home country.”

“Criminals like Khdir and Shamo put countless lives at risk smuggling vulnerable people through Europe in a shameless attempt to make cash,” said Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, after the convictions.

She added: “We are taking action against the people-smuggling gangs and will stop at nothing to dismantle their networks and bring justice to the system.”