Some shops on the UK’s high streets are being accused of secretly helping people smugglers who move migrants across the Channel. An investigation by The Telegraph revealed that a money transfer shop in Birmingham was involved in sending money to a suspected smuggler, helping them avoid police attention.
As part of the investigation, one journalist contacted a smuggler in Calais named Sangari, while another pretended to be an Afghan trying to help a family member get from France to the UK. Sangari asked for the payment to be sent to someone in the UK, giving the name Esmat his contact in Birmingham and telling them to pay £1,500 at a local money transfer shop.
When the undercover reporters went to the shop, they were told to call Esmat. Over the phone, Esmat gave instructions to pay the money directly into his account. This conversation was secretly recorded by the reporters. The broker at the shop confirmed the payment, asked for WhatsApp contact, and said everything would be fine once they handed over the cash and a passport. He even suggested using one of the reporters’ passports for the transaction.
The broker claimed the money would eventually reach someone in Afghanistan, but gave no clear details about who that person was. Esmat also didn’t explain what would happen if the migrant crossing failed whether the money would be refunded or not.
The payment system used in this case is called “hawala.” It’s a traditional money transfer method used in countries where formal banks aren’t common or trusted. Because hawala doesn’t leave digital records like bank transfers do, it’s hard for authorities to trace the money. That’s why it’s often used by criminal networks.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is trying to crack down on this system because it’s being widely used to fund illegal Channel crossings. The NCA says hundreds of millions of pounds are now moving through hawala for this purpose every year, helping smugglers operate under the radar.
