Two men have admitted to operating a “people smuggling” scheme from a car wash in Wales, bringing individuals from countries such as Iran and Iraq into Europe, in exchange for substantial sums of money. Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, managed the operation from the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly, over a period spanning from September 30, 2022, to April 19, 2023.
The duo aided migrants from non-EU nations, predominantly from Iraq, Iran, and Syria, in circumventing immigration laws to unlawfully enter countries like Italy, Romania, Germany, and Croatia. Initially denying allegations of five counts of conspiracy to facilitate breaches of immigration laws, both Shamo and Khdir reversed their pleas to guilty at Cardiff Crown Court. Following a two-week trial, the jury convicted them, and sentencing is due at a later date.
The prosecution outlined that Shamo and Khdir received payment in the form of thousands of pounds for their services, which involved using methods such as tourist visas and heavy goods vehicles. The National Crime Agency conducted a thorough investigation into the operations of the two men, accumulating evidence through seized telephones and surveillance, including listening devices positioned in cars and at the car wash.
Various conversations between the defendants, initially in Kurdish but translated into English for court proceedings, revealed their coordination in trafficking individuals from Iraq, Iran, and Syria across the EU for financial gain, breaching immigration laws. Money transfer methods like Hawala and Western Union were employed, with funds deposited to fund journeys for migrants lacking legal documentation.
Shamo, originally from Iraq, and Khdir, of Iranian Kurdish descent, are UK citizens who owned and ran Fast Track Hand Car Wash Ltd from 2015 to 2021. Although the business functioned as a legitimate car wash, it potentially served as a cover for their illicit activities. The men used different methods to transport migrants into the EU, including legal travel to Turkey and illicit movement to countries like Italy, Romania, and Germany using tourist visas, HGV lorries, and routes through Bosnia to Croatia and Slovenia.
The prosecution highlighted the involvement of various individuals in the smuggling operation, handling tasks like recruiting, financial transactions, passport management, transportation coordination, driving, and guiding migrants. Shamo, also known as Mr. Kochar or Kuchar, and Khdir, known as Bakhtiyar, Baka, and Bakha, were apprehended on separate occasions, leading to the discovery of incriminating messages on their phones.
With Shamo being detained at the car wash in November 2022 and Khdir in April 2023 for employing disqualified workers due to immigration reasons, the authorities unearthed extensive evidence supporting the people smuggling charges. The case has shed light on a sophisticated network orchestrating the illegal transportation of individuals across European borders for profit, involving a web of collaborators in various roles.
The proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court unveiled the extensive efforts undertaken by law enforcement to dismantle the clandestine operation orchestrated by Shamo and Khdir at the unsuspecting car wash in Caerphilly, exposing the intricate web of clandestine activities that facilitated the illegal immigration of individuals from conflict-torn regions into Europe for financial gain.