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Mini-marts linked to convicted people smuggler closed after BBC investigation

Sue Mitchelland
Paul Kerley,BBC News
"I never, I never": Watch Twana Jamal's reaction when BBC confronts him about people smuggling

Two Leicestershire mini-marts linked to a convicted people smuggler exposed in a BBC investigation have been closed by the local council.

Twana Jamal, once described as "the godfather" of migrant camps in northern France, was recently confronted by our reporting team while running one of the stores, in Blaby on the outskirts of Leicester.

Reporters had witnessed him working illegally at both shops, making deliveries, driving a BMW without a licence, and apparently using a false name.

The shops - both called Candy Corner - have now been shut for 72 hours by the local council, Blaby District, under anti-social behaviour laws. An application for a three-month closure will be made at Leicester Magistrates Court on Monday 6 July.

Jamal is believed to have been seeking asylum in the UK. He told us he had applied and was "still waiting". It is not known what name he used on any application.

UK law says anyone who has spent 12 months or more in prison overseas should be refused asylum.

The Iraqi Kurd was given a five-year jail sentence in France in 2016, where authorities described him as one of the most successful people smugglers ever caught - earning up to £100,000 a week from moving illegal immigrants across the Channel.

At that time, the mode of travel preferred by cross-channel smugglers was freight lorries rather than small boats.

A shop called Candy Corner - with a red security shutter. Artificial grass matting is on the ground outside. There are St George's flags hung up either side of the shop front.
One of two shops in Blaby, Leicestershire, that have now been closed

Jamal claimed in court his had been a case of mistaken identity, but he was found guilty and told he faced deportation back to Iraqi Kurdistan after his release.

The BBC recently received a tip-off that he was in the UK and claiming asylum. We tracked him down to Leicester.

"We know everyone in this city, this city is ours," he boasted to a contact in a recording shared with the BBC.

He added that he was making "good money" and there was work to be had "moving cigarettes" from a warehouse - paying £300 per job.

"No-one touches us here," he said. "Even the police won't stop you."

Over several days last month in Blaby, a BBC team watched comings and goings at the two mini-marts, which sold vapes and sweets until late in the evening.

Twana Jamal in a yellow weightlifter's vest with a black graphic stands in an indoor public setting with hands held behind the back, while another individual in dark clothing stands close behind; wood-panelled walls and a counter are visible in the background, and partial text reading “W” appears on the shirt.
Twana Jamal in a French courtroom in 2016, where he received a five-year sentence

After we published our investigation, two local Liberal Democrat councillors said they had previously reported the stores, but that no action appeared to have been taken.

One, Paul Hartshorn said he had made five reports about the selling of illegal vapes to Leicestershire County Council, while another, Sue Jordan, said she had alerted Trading Standards three times.

In a statement, Leicestershire County Council told us that it continues to work in partnership with police and Blaby District Council to tackle high street crime and related offences.

"We receive hundreds of reports about the sale of illegal tobacco and illegal vapes and act on the intelligence we have," it added. "This is a hugely challenging situation nationally and along with our partners we take it very seriously."

One of the shops that has been closed is next to the constituency office of the local Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, Alberto Costa.

He described Jamal's actions as "utterly unacceptable" and said he had contacted Leicestershire Police to ask what the force intends to do with the BBC's findings - adding he would also be raising them with the Home Office at the "highest level".

"Let's be clear this man should not be in Blaby, should not be in this country," said Costa. The fact Jamal had been running a business next door to a member of parliament's constituency office "speaks volumes about the character of this individual".

In a statement, Leicestershire Police said: "Local officers are working with the local authority and will have proactive patrols in place over the weekend."

Watch: How the BBC tracked down a convicted people smuggler living in the UK

Jamal's presence in the UK raises serious concerns about whether existing border controls are effective in checking asylum seekers who have committed serious crimes overseas.

Immigration officers have told the BBC that since the UK left the European Union, it has become more difficult to check criminal records from some other countries.

Jamal's case is not isolated. Our investigation has found more than 20 other people smugglers living in the UK. Law enforcement officers in Europe have confirmed 15 of those cases - including some with convictions from courts in France, Germany and Belgium.

Asylum seekers are fingerprinted and checked against UK police records, but these would not necessarily show a conviction from another country.

The Home Office told us: "All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks."

It added that the UK has "a number of agreements with countries which enable the sharing of criminal record information", and that immigration enforcement action is currently at its highest level in history, with arrests for illegal working up 83%.