Masterminds of mega people-smuggling operation jailed after launching ‘Tripadvisor-style’ service for migrants

The National Crime Agency branded their enterprise a "Tripadvisor for people smugglers," with the duo arranging passage for roughly 100 migrants to Europe every week across a two-year period.

Both men originated from Iraqi Kurdistan but had been residing and working lawfully in Britain.

The presiding judge characterised them as "having leading roles in a sophisticated and successful" criminal enterprise, which operated behind the façade of a legitimate vehicle cleaning business.

The operation facilitated the movement of people from Iraq, Iran and Syria through Belarus, Moldova and Bosnia, with final destinations including Italy, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Germany and France.

According to the NCA, the pair were connected to "a larger organised crime group" and offered customers different tiers of service depending on their budget.

The most expensive platinum package, priced between £10,000 and £25,000, provided migrants with forged passports and flights.

A gold tier costing £8,000 to £10,000 arranged sea transport, while the cheapest bronze option, ranging from £3,000 to £5,000, meant travelling in lorries or crossing the Channel by dinghy.

The NCA believes most clients were seeking improved lives in western Europe, with many thought to have ultimately reached the UK.

The scheme was financed through Hawala banking, a Middle Eastern money-transfer system where no cash physically or electronically changes hands.

This method made tracking and recovering criminal proceeds extremely difficult for investigators.

"The tangible assets in the UK are minimal," said Derek Evans, NCA branch commander.

"Most of the money was never actually received by Shamo or Khdir it was all done in Iraq through the Hawala system. So, most of that money is still in Iraq or Kurdistan."

Despite potentially earning hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds, authorities have recovered very little of the profits.

Under the Hawala system, migrants or their families pay a broker in Iraq, with smugglers at each stage of the journey collecting their share from other brokers using transaction-specific codes.

Migrants were encouraged to rate their experiences through videos recorded inside lorries and boats, sharing their feedback on platforms such as Telegram and TikTok.

"How was the route, guys?" one clip showed a man asking, with a passenger responding with a thumbs-up gesture.

"God bless you, we are very grateful," an Iranian family declared while posing outside an airport after being smuggled to Europe.

Mr Evans described how the pair functioned "like a travel agency" in their approach.

"It's like Tripadvisor, they were rating their service within that community," he explained.

The NCA's lengthy investigation revealed the men worked continuously to coordinate migrant movements across the continent.

"We believe they smuggled more than 400 people in a period of just six months," Mr Evans stated.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke described the crimes as "sophisticated offending" when handing down the sentences.

"You acted primarily for financial gain. I am satisfied that the harm caused was high as you facilitated the smuggling of a very large number of individuals," she told the defendants.

The judge noted aggravating factors including the sustained nature of the offending, active recruitment of others, and dangerous routes involving migrants concealed in lorries overnight on ships or crossing borders protected by razor wire and guards.

However, she acknowledged the pair "provided the best service that you could to the migrants" and showed "some concern for their well-being," adding: "Importantly, there was no exploitation of the migrants."

Both men will serve 40 per cent of their sentences in custody.

Mr Evans warned that "because of the profits that can be made, it is almost inevitable that somebody will look to fill the gap."

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