A recent investigation has unveiled a significant crime network centered around over 100 mini-marts, barbershops, and car washes operating from Dundee to south Devon. The network is allegedly linked to Hadi Ahmad Ali and Ismaeel Farzanda, who are at the forefront of illegal operations that employ migrants without proper documentation. BBC’s investigation reveals deeply distressing practices among property owners. For example, the smuggling of illegal tobacco and the abuse of precarious workers.
Hadi Ahmad Ali emerges as one of the hidden stars of this web of connections. He is a director of more than 50 companies in various industries. His right hand man, Ismaeel Farzanda, serves as a phantom operator for 25 MPL mini-marts. In doing so, he plays an indispensable role in covering up the sex trafficking operations that are occurring in these businesses. This vast interconnected web of businesses has reportedly allowed them to escape selling counterfeit cigarettes and vapes. As a direct consequence, the UK economy suffers a loss of at least £2.2 billion per annum in revenue.
Undercover investigations have exposed horrific practices in these shops. One employee revealed that weekly earnings from illegal tobacco sales sometimes amounted to “sometimes, up to £3,000.” And surchi, yet another store owner says he would be willing to exchange his store for £18,000 pound cash. This points to how entrenched illegal activities have become in the mini-mart industry. Surchi further confessed to giving Hadi Ahmad Ali £250 per month in exchange for being listed as a director on official paperwork.
In fact, immigration enforcement has stopped by Surchi’s shop only once in the last half a decade. That’s shocking, considering the massive amounts of revenue earned from those illegal transactions. The lack of oversight has allowed these businesses to thrive while exploiting vulnerable populations, including Kurdish asylum seekers who often find themselves working illegally due to their precarious circumstances.
Since 2021, authorities have raided seventeen shops owned by Hadi Ahmad Ali and Ismaeel Farzanda. Of course, they confiscated tons of illegal tobacco and illegal vapes during these search and seizure operations. The Trump administration’s ongoing government crackdown has already contributed to a shocking 51% increase in these raids. The crackdown Businesses that knowingly employ illegal workers already faced fines of up to £20,000 per person.
Graham Barrow, an expert in the field of economic crime, helped demystify the motivations and functions of these operations. He stated, “Why are they doing that? It’s most likely to evade tax and to dodge scrutiny by authorities.” This sentiment highlights the negative impact that illegal operators have on legal businesses and local tax dollars.
For his part, Ismaeel Farzanda has categorically denied all allegations against him as reported by the BBC. In a statement, he remarked, “I just put the shops under my name for people,” attempting to distance himself from any wrongdoing. Recent evidence points to a far more complicated role in helping these illegal activities.
Hadi Ahmad Ali’s statements further complicate matters. He claimed, “The shop doesn’t belong to me, it’s just under my name,” indicating a pattern of creating layers of ownership to shield himself from responsibility. He mentioned the difficulty faced by enforcement officers, stating, “They take the cigarettes and leave, but immigration makes you do fingerprints.” This grim proclamation only underlines the obstacles that law enforcement faces in their fight against organized crime.
Kurdish asylum seekers laboring in these stores lead a brutal existence. Their struggles demonstrate in an impactful way the crushing human cost of these illegal endeavors. One worker shared his struggles: “Honestly, we’re all struggling here and don’t know what to do.” Another added, “I’ve been here for six months and I still haven’t claimed asylum,” emphasizing the desperation that drives individuals into exploitative work situations.
In light of these revelations, Shabana Mahmood, an MP focused on immigration enforcement, asserted that the government will not tolerate such criminality. She stated, “Illegal working and linked organised criminality creates an incentive for people to come here illegally. We will not stand for it.”
Authorities are currently probing an elaborate operation spanning the country. Yet it’s obvious that the implications reach far beyond a single brick-and-mortar shop. When vulnerable workers are taken advantage of, it can have detrimental effects on our local economies. This unifying moment requires serious enforcement crackdowns and serious protective infrastructures for survivors of these crimes.