People Smugglers Who Used “Tripadvisor-Style” Video Reviews Convicted

Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, have admitted guilt to charges of people smuggling during their trial. The two men were found guilty for their involvement in a Europe-wide scheme described as a “Tripadvisor for people smugglers.” For two years, they illegally transported approximately 100 migrants to Europe weekly. Operating from a car wash in Caerphilly, south Wales, the duo presented migrants with “bronze, silver, gold, and platinum packages,” with pricing varying based on the perceived risk. A platinum package included air travel, while a silver option offered a “comfortable ride” in the rear of a lorry. Migrants traveling from the Middle East to Europe provided ratings for their journeys in videos recorded within lorries, boats, and aircraft. In one video, a man inquired, “How was the route, lads?” as an individual in the back of a lorry responded with a thumbs-up gesture. Investigators discovered these video reviews on the smugglers’ own mobile phones, appearing to serve as promotional content. The National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that the majority of individuals utilizing these services originated from Iran, Iraq, and Syria, seeking improved living conditions in western Europe. A significant number are thought to have reached the UK. A migrant in one video stated: “Lorry route agreement with knowledge of the driver; here we have men, women and children – thank God the route was easy and good.” Another clip depicted men smiling at the camera while indicating at least twelve other individuals on a boat moving swiftly across the water. Derek Evans of the NCA commented that the duo conducted their operations “like a travel agency.” He added, “It’s like Tripadvisor, they were rating their service within that community.” The platinum tier, the most expensive option, provided migrants with a counterfeit passport and air travel, with costs ranging from £10,000 to £25,000. The gold tier, priced between £8,000 and £10,000, involved travel by vessel, whereas the bronze tier, considered the riskiest service at £3,000 to £5,000, entailed transportation in a heavy goods vehicle. Following a confidential tip, the NCA located the smugglers and covertly recorded several of their telephone conversations. In one recorded exchange, Shamo stated: “From last Friday till last night, I have been smuggling people.” He continued, “A batch every single day, Kurds from Turkey… so this week, I smuggled six to seven batches.” Mr. Evans informed the BBC Wales Investigates programme that their objective was to have “dismantled and disrupted” a segment of the smuggling industry. However, he expressed “no doubt” that others would assume control due to the “fruitful business model” it represented. Shamo and Khdir reportedly earned hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of pounds, but the recovery of these profits is considered improbable. This difficulty stems from their use of hawala banking, a system that does not necessitate detailed user information. Through this system, individuals can deposit funds with a hawala broker in one nation, and a recipient can withdraw the equivalent amount from a broker in another nation by presenting a code. Consequently, money is transferred without any physical movement of cash, and no identification is required from users. Claire Healy, from the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), noted that while hawala banking has legitimate and even “essential” applications—such as enabling individuals without bank accounts to send remittances to family overseas—it is also a system “attractive for criminal activity.” It was understood that Shamo and Khdir maintained contacts in Iraq from their south Wales car wash, which were crucial to their smuggling activities. To investigate the clandestine yet highly lucrative smuggling industry further, a journey was made to Erbil, where assistance was sought from a local individual familiar with smuggling gangs. This individual promptly located advertisements on TikTok promoting services akin to those offered by the Caerphilly men, though open discussion of illegal activities was improbable. Therefore, an undercover operation was initiated, dispatching the contact to impersonate an Iraqi man seeking passage to the UK. A smuggler claimed he could facilitate transport from France to the UK in the rear of a lorry for $5,000 (£3,900). Another individual, identifying himself as Bawar, asserted he was based in Cardiff and proposed a more comfortable journey, including a counterfeit passport. He informed us: “My brother, we have by plane from France to Britain… we guarantee no stoppage or fingerprinting.” He added, “The amount is $8,000 (£6,200) and you can easily deposit the amount in any transfer office you want.” To finalize the arrangement, Bawar instructed us to deposit the funds at a hawala in Erbil. Upon the arrival of our undercover reporter, the operator of the hawala seemed acquainted with the proposed arrangement. We verified our intention to travel by plane using documents supplied by