Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, were convicted of running the operation from the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly
Dilshad Shamo and Ali Khdir ran a people-smuggling operation from a car wash in Caerphilly
Video footage shows migrants being smuggled into Europe by lorry and by boat having been assisted by a people trafficking operation based at a car wash in Wales. One migrant can be seen lying in the back of a lorry while others are on the side of a boat travelling at speed.
Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, made several thousands of pounds by helping migrants from outside of the EU – mainly from Iraq, Iran, and Syria – to breach immigration laws to illegally enter countries including Italy, Romania, Germany and Croatia. They both ran an operation from the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly, between September 30, 2022, and April 19, 2023.
Evidence was collated by the National Crime Agency who conducted a long-running investigation into the activities of Shamo and Khdir. Opening the pair’s trial to a jury prosecutor Sarah Gaunt said: “It is the prosecution’s case the defendants were conducting a people smuggling operation from Caerphilly – primarily the Fast Track Hand Car Wash situated in Pontygwindy Road.”
Migrants travelling on a boat(Image: National Crime Agency)
Various telephone and sim cards were seized from the defendants. Those telephones were downloaded and substantial amounts of evidence in terms of messages and other internet communications were scrutinised. There was contact from individuals from Iraq, Turkey, and from across Europe.
Among the footage seized during the investigation were self-filmed videos from migrants as they were in the process of being smuggled from one country to another. One of the videos shows a man filming his feet as he is transported in the back of a lorry.
He can be heard saying: “Today is December 17, 2022. With the help of Good and Kak Choman we made a deal by lorry route. I’m inside the lorry – that is his job. We made a deal and we are on the move.” The man pans the camera and shows a number of blankets lying on top of pallets.
Ali Khdir photographed outside the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly(Image: National Crime Agency)
Further footage shows migrants travelling on boats which are moving rapidly across the sea. In one video a man can be heard saying: “Ships! Boss! We only travel by ships to Italy.”
A migrant films himself travelling in the back of a lorry(Image: National Crime Agency)
Surveillance was carried out on Shamo and Khdir by police with listening devices placed on the defendants’ cars and at the car wash. Various conversations between the defendants were recorded, originally in Kurdish, but which were translated into English for the purpose of the trial. Photographs were taken of the defendants with Khdir photographed at the car wash and Shamo photographed at Heathrow Airport.
Dilshad Shamo photographed at Heathrow Airport(Image: National Crime Agency)
Ms Gaunt added: “The prosecution’s case is the evidence from multiple sources shows the defendants trafficked or attempted to traffic individuals from non-European countries across and into the EU for monetary gain. This was in breach of immigration laws that existed in those countries. Money was deposited by migrants in order to fund the journey and the facilitators included these defendants.”
Migrants travelling on a boat(Image: National Crime Agency)
The court heard money was deposited using Hawala and Western Union through money agencies based in Iraq. In return Shamo and Khdir organised entry into the EU countries for various people who did not have legal documentation by organising passages through or entrance into the EU countries.
Ali Khdir photographed outside the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly(Image: National Crime Agency)
Both defendants are British citizens but Shamo, of Castell Morgraig, Caerphilly, was born in Iraq and Khdir, of Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly, was born in Iran with Kurdish Iranian ethnicity.
The defendants owned and operated Fast Track Hand Car Wash Ltd between 2015 and 2021. It was said the company did operate as a legitimate car wash but may also have been a front for the defendants’ other activities. Shamo was also known as Mr Kochar or Kuchar and Khdir was also known as Bakhtiyar, Baka, and Bakha.
A migrant films himself travelling in the back of a lorry(Image: National Crime Agency)
Shamo was arrested at the car wash on November 18, 2022, in respect of a separate matter during which his phone was seized. He and Khdir were arrested on April 18, 2023, for illegally employing people who were disqualified from working in the UK due to their immigration status during which Khdir’s phone was also seized. The seizure of the defendants’ phones led to the discovery of the various messages.
Both defendants, who initially denied charges of five counts of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach or attempted breach of immigration laws, changed their plea to guilty during their trial at Cardiff Crown Court. They were formally found guilty of the charges by the jury. While the defendants pleaded guilty they dispute the facts of the case as adduced by the prosecution and have each entered a basis of plea. A separate hearing before a judge, called a Newton hearing, will be held next April before they are sentenced.
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