A Swansea-based gang’s smuggling operation unraveled after selfies revealed their activities, leading to multiple sentences in court.
The whole thing came to light back in 2019 when those selfies were found on a plane. It kicked off a four-year investigation that traced the gang’s activities all the way from Iran to Wales. In court, they found out that while four guys were caught, there are still others out there who helped them.
The prosecutor laid it out, saying these guys were running a slick operation. They were booking flights on budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet for people trying to claim asylum. They had a whole system going, using fake identities to get folks into the UK.
The gang had a route figured out, starting in Iran, going through Europe, and then landing in the UK. Once they arrived, the new arrivals would just show up at immigration and claim they were undocumented. The flights were all booked from Swansea, which is wild.
The court heard that the main guy, Nazari, was at the top of the operation, with his right-hand man, Hangeroudi. The other two, who are brothers, were lower down the chain. They were moving serious cash around, with tens of thousands flowing through their accounts.
When they searched the defendants’ phones, they found loads of pictures of boarding passes and fake IDs. A lot of those fake addresses were in Swansea, too. It’s crazy how they thought they could get away with it.
Nazari, who’s 41, had a rough past in Iran, and his lawyer said he got involved to help family members. Hangeroudi, 28, was just trying to help friends and family too. The other two guys were also motivated by family ties, not just money.
In the end, the judge gave Nazari 67 months in prison, while Hangeroudi got 43 months. The other two got suspended sentences but still have to do community service. After the sentencing, a government minister made it clear that they’re cracking down on these smuggling operations. It’s a big deal, and they’re not letting anyone off the hook.