Barber’s Shop Fronts Migrant Smuggling Ring in North London
Gul Wali Jabarkhel, 33, ran a Cricklewood barbershop as a cover for organised immigration crime. The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered his plot to recruit lorry drivers to smuggle migrants into the UK.
£2,500 Per Person: Smuggling Scheme Exposed
Jabarkhel claimed ties to Albanian criminals overseas and offered drivers £2,500 for each migrant transported from France or Belgium in September 2020. He preferred moving no more than five people at once to avoid detection but hoped to secure repeat runs up to three times a month.
The first planned smuggling attempt in November 2020 was called off. Instead, Jabarkhel and accomplice Baz Mohammed Jabarkhil, 47, of Mill Hill, jetted off to Kabul, Afghanistan. The NCA tried to stop their return but they kept trying to sneak back illegally, using drivers they recruited.
NCA Sting Brings Smugglers to Justice
- While Jabarkhel and Jabarkhil were abroad, they enlisted Rehan Murudkar, 19, and Mohammad Rafique, 28, to arrange cash handovers on the M1 motorway.
- The NCA watched closely and arrested Murudkar and Rafique for money laundering suspicion shortly after the handover.
- Despite denials, phone records revealed extensive communication linking all four men in the smuggling ring.
Jabarkhel was caught back in the UK at a barbershop in July 2021. Jabarkhil was detained after arriving illegally by boat in Dover two months later.
Prison Sentences for Migrant Smugglers
The quartet faced trial at Kingston Crown Court and were convicted in April. Sentences followed on 1 June:
- Gul Wali Jabarkhel: 10 years
- Baz Mohammed Jabarkhil: 5 years
- Rehan Murudkar: 2 years 3 months
- Mohammad Rafique: 3 years 6 months
Jabarkhil admitted illegal entry to the UK, and Jabarkhel pleaded guilty to his role in the plot.
“This organisation sought profit over people, risking vulnerable migrants’ lives. Their concern was avoiding border detection, not safety,” said NCA Senior Investigating Officer Chris Hill.
“These sentences send a clear warning to organised immigration crime networks: The NCA will relentlessly investigate and prosecute,” Hill added.
Minister for Justice Tom Pursglove praised the NCA’s work: “Thanks to their diligence, these ruthless traffickers are behind bars and can no longer profit from endangering lives.”
