Fallout of Qur’an burning in Sweden shows why there can be no tolerance for intolerance

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Swedish police officers belatedly intervene after a group of Islamophobes burn a copy of the Qur'an, the Muslim holy book, outside the central mosque in Stockholm on June 28, 2023. (TT News Agency/Caisa Rasmussen/via REUTERS)
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Smoke billows as supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protest near the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on June 30, 2023, against a man who tore up and burned a copy of the Qur'an outside a mosque in the Swedish capital Stockholm. (REUTERS/Saba Kareem)
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Iranians burn a Swedish flag during a demonstration on June 30, 2023, in front of the Swedish Embassy in Tehran to protest the burning of a Qur'an in Sweden. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Updated 02 July 2023
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Fallout of Qur’an burning in Sweden shows why there can be no tolerance for intolerance

  • Swedish authorities face condemnation for allowing desecration of holy book of Islam by Iraqi immigrant in Stockholm
  • Incident raises questions about limits of free speech and the unequal treatment of different texts, religious or secular

JEDDAH: Sweden, a nation known for its progressive values and commitment to human rights, finds itself at the center of a fierce diplomatic storm over the burning of a copy of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, by a member of a far-right Swedish party.

This burning, which Swedish authorities permitted to take place on June 28 in Stockholm, has sparked anger and outrage among Muslims across the world.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member group of nations, said it would hold an “emergency meeting” to discuss the situation, with talks expected to take place on Sunday.

According to a spokesman, the executive committee of the OIC will meet in the Saudi city of Jeddah to “discuss the measures to be taken against this heinous act and adopt a collective position on the necessary course of action.”

The incident occurred outside the Stockholm central mosque during Eid Al-Adha, a major Islamic holiday and the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia.




Salwan Momika, who fled from Iraq to Sweden several years ago, protests outside a mosque in Stockholm on June 28, 2023, during the Eid al-Adha holiday. He later tore up and burned a copy of the Muslim holy book. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

The act was carried out by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden, who claimed to be expressing his opinion about the Holy Qur’an.

The police in Stockholm had granted a permit for the protest after a Swedish court ruled that banning it would impinge on the right to freedom of speech and that the force did not have sufficient evidence to ban such protests.

In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Expressen on Thursday, Momika denied his actions constituted a “hate crime” or “agitation toward any group.” He also said he intends to burn another copy of the holy book within 10 days of his first protest.

According to a statement on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, “The Swedish government strongly rejects the Islamophobic act committed by individuals in Sweden. This act in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish Government.”




Swedish police allowed Salwan Momika, an Iraqi residing in Sweden, to tear up and burn a copy of the Qur'an during an unprovoked demonstration outside a mosque in Stockholm on June 28, 2023, as Muslims worldwide celebrated Eid Al-Adha. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

A statement issued by a spokesperson for the Diplomatic Service of the European Union said: “The EU joins the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its strong rejection of the burning of a Qur’an by an individual in Sweden. ... Burning the Qur’an or any other Holy Book is offensive and disrespectful and a clear act of provocation. Manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related tolerance have no place in Europe.”

Arab News contacted the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden with a set of questions but had not received a response at the time of publishing.

Responding to the Stockholm incident, several Muslim-majority countries have expressed their concerns and condemned the act as a deliberate provocation and an attack on their religion.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement strongly condemning the burning, emphasizing that such actions incite hatred, exclusion, and racism, contradicting efforts to promote tolerance, moderation, and the rejection of extremism.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur’an by an extremist at Stockholm Central Mosque in Sweden following Eid Al-Adha prayer,” the ministry said.

“These hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justification, and they clearly incite hatred, exclusion, and racism, and directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, moderation, and rejection of extremism, and undermine the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and states.”

FASTFACTS

140,000+ Iraqi-born immigrants form the second-largest immigrant group in Sweden.

Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Holy Qur’an in Stockholm on Jan. 21 this year.

Morocco, for its part, summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Rabat and recalled its own ambassador, while Jordan expressed displeasure to Sweden’s envoy, describing the burning as an act of hatred and racism.

The UAE also summoned Sweden’s ambassador and expressed strong displeasure over the country allowing Momika’s action. In a statement, Dr. Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said: “The blatant and repeated attacks on our Islamic faith under the pretext of freedom of opinion perpetuate hatred and rivalry.”

On Thursday, a crowd of Iraqi protesters, led by the Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, broke into Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad, but vacated it after 15 minutes when security forces arrived at the scene.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemned Sweden’s decision to grant an “extremist” permission to burn a copy of the Qur’an, saying such acts “inflame the feelings of Muslims around the world and represent a dangerous provocation.”

The ministry said it had summoned the Swedish ambassador to Baghdad to inform her of the country’s “strong protest” over the authorization decision.




Supporters of Shiite Muslim leader Moqtada Sadr demonstrate inside the courtyard and outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on June 29, 2023, to protest the burning of the Qur'an by an Iraqi living in Sweden. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, criticized Sweden for allowing such a protest, which may have further weakened the Nordic nation’s chances of joining NATO — a move that has long been vetoed by NATO-member Turkiye.

“We will eventually teach the arrogant Westerners that insulting Muslims is not freedom of thought,” Erdogan said in televised remarks. “We will show our reaction in the strongest possible terms, until a determined victory against terrorist organizations and Islamophobia is achieved.”

Political commentators have warned that the act of burning a copy of the Qur’an not only stokes existing tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities within Sweden, but also plays into the hands of extremist elements who exploit such incidents to fuel hatred and further polarize societies.

Previous incidents involving the desecration of sacred texts have also faced condemnation. In 2015, a far-right politician burned a copy of the Qur’an outside a mosque, and earlier this year, an Egyptian living in Sweden planned to burn the Torah in front of the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm to spark a debate on the Palestinian cause.

However, Muslim leaders in Sweden intervened to prevent the action, with both Muslim and Jewish clergy speaking out against the desecration of sacred texts as a form of protest.

Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s prime minister, has said Momika’s action was “legal but not appropriate.”




Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson talks to the media at the EU headquarters in Brussels on June 29, 2023. (AFP)

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi political researcher, told Arab News: “I have been to Sweden. It is a beautiful country with great people who value respect for others.

“However, it’s very unfortunate that some extremists exploited Sweden and its loose laws with regards to freedom of expression. The Swedish people are among the kindest I have ever encountered.

“I am absolutely certain that the Swedish people don’t agree with hate-filled speeches and actions. If burning the holy book of 1.8 billion people is not hate, then what constitutes hate speech and action?”

Highlighting concerns about a selective approach to freedom of expression, some political analysts say that the response by a Western country might have been different had the protest been against a different faith or a popular political cause.

They contend that desecration of a Jewish religious symbol, for example, would likely have invited charges of antisemitism; similarly, any protest directed against black people would certainly have fallen foul of laws banning racism.

In the last week of April, a group of self-proclaimed Satanists cheered as two leaders opened SatanCon 2023 in the US city of Boston, with a formal ceremony renouncing “symbols of oppression” by ripping up a Bible and a “Thin Blue Line” flag representing police.

Commenting on a Fox News video of the actions on Twitter, Al-Ansari made clear his views on the desecration, saying: “As a Muslim, I say these Satanist actions against Christianity and the Bible are nothing but deplorable, disgusting and full of hatred towards people of all faiths.

“How can ripping up a Bible help? Who are the behind-the-scenes enablers of this hate cult?”

 

 

The burning of a copy of the Qur’an is not only considered deeply offensive by Muslims worldwide, it also raises vital questions about the limits of free speech and the unequal treatment of different texts, religious or secular.

While freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of democratic societies, many political scientists believe it should not be considered an absolute right that enables the incitement of hatred or the deliberate denigration of religious beliefs.

Speaking to Arab News, Al-Ansari said: “Sweden is dear to my heart and I am sad to see it exploited by far-right radicals and extremists. It’s time for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the Swedish parliament to drain the swamp of hate and extremism.

“The Swedish government should rectify this matter and draw a clear line between freedom of expression and hate actions.

“Otherwise, the Swedish government and people will be seen as hate preachers and hypocrites where they ban many slogans such as the Nazi ones and allow anti-Muslim hatred.

“That’s a clear double standard that can’t be justified in any way whatsoever. Sweden is better than that.”




Iranians demonstrate in front of the Swedish Embassy in Tehran on June 30, 2023, to protest the burning of a Qur'an by Islamophobes in the Swedish capital earlier. (AP)

Referring to Momika, Al-Ansari said: “The perpetrator of this action is reportedly an active Iraqi militia member who worked with radical and militant organizations in Iraq.

“And he kept visiting Iraq even though he claimed to be fearing for his life. If lying to the Swedish immigration is not enough to revoke his asylum status, then what is?”

Others have suggested that this week’s incident underscores the importance of encouraging interfaith dialogue, educating the public about the significance of religious texts, and bridging divides through respectful communication.

In order to achieve harmonious coexistence in multicultural societies, religious leaders believe tolerance and respect for diverse beliefs are paramount.

While freedom of speech remains crucial, they believe it must be exercised responsibly, taking into account the potential consequences and respecting the sensitivities of others.

In a recent interview with the news channel MBC, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, emphasized that a “copy of the Holy Qur’an, not the Qur’an,” had fallen into the “hands of a hateful extremist who holds a grudge and who took refuge in a constitution that allows him to express freely, “even if his expressed opinion is a grudge that will incite hatred and enmity among all.”

 

 

He added: “This is the philosophy of the constitution that protects him, and in this case, it is the Swedish constitution, which in fact, represents the will of the Swedish people in enacting this constitution.

“However, the majority of the Swedish people distinguish between the articles of the constitution and the behavior that gets protection under the article of the constitution to express those opinions, in particular those grudges and hatred that are expressed in that incident.

“In general, the (Swedish people) do not agree with these grudges and hatred. They reject them. However, they say ‘This is his right to express his opinion as long as it does not (commit) a harmful action that is tangible.’”

Al-Issa, who deems Momika’s actions a crime, added: “We have differences with the philosophy of this constitution. We explicitly denounce this heinous act. We condemn it in every possible way.”

In March 2019, Arab News took a clear stand against those who promote hate speech in the name of religion by launching a project, “Preachers of Hate,” whose theme was there can be no tolerance for intolerance.

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“Each week, we will focus on a particular preacher, explain their beliefs, shed light on their hate-filled edicts and, most importantly, hold them accountable for their words,” Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas wrote in a column entitled “There can be no tolerance for intolerance” introducing the series.

The series profiled, contextualized and analyzed extremist preachers from all religions, backgrounds and nationalities, with a view to highlighting the impact of their words on people worldwide.

 


US restricts food, metal imports on Uyghur forced labor concerns

Updated 23 November 2024
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US restricts food, metal imports on Uyghur forced labor concerns

  • Goods wholly or partially made by the sanctioned firms will be restricted from entering the US, says the Department of Homeland Security
  • China is accused of incarcerating over 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, although officials strongly deny this

WASHINGTON: The United States said Friday that it is barring imports from dozens more China-based companies — ranging from businesses in the metals to food industries — citing worries over forced labor.
Officials are adding around 30 entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list, meaning that goods wholly or partially made by these firms will be restricted from entering the United States.
The new additions bring the total number on the list to 107, said the Department of Homeland Security.
The reason is that the companies were found to either source materials from China’s northwestern Xinjiang region or work with its local government “to recruit, transfer, and receive workers, including Uyghurs, out of Xinjiang,” said the US Trade Representative’s office.
Beijing has been accused of incarcerating over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a network of detention facilities in Xinjiang, although officials strongly deny this.

The newly-targeted companies make goods ranging from agricultural to aluminum products, along with polysilicon materials.
They also mine and process metals like copper, gold and nickel, the USTR statement added.
Among them are companies tied to Chinese electric vehicle battery manufacturer CATL and China-linked Gotion too, a bipartisan US congressional committee noted on Friday.
Earlier this year, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and others flagged CATL and Gotion’s ties to two businesses, Xinjiang Nonferrous and Xinjiang Joinworld.
Both were included in the latest update.
The committee’s chairman John Moolenaar and other lawmakers released a statement saying: “While we are pleased with this initial step, we remain concerned that CATL and Gotion’s supply chains are deeply tied to the Xinjiang region.”
The rule comes into effect on November 25.
“Companies should not secure unfair advantages by exploiting workers,” said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
“We will enforce our laws to address forced labor and prevent companies that violate workers’ rights from benefiting from the US market,” she added in a statement.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law in 2021.
 


Trump plans to assemble investigative teams to look into 2020 election, Washington Post reports

Updated 23 November 2024
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Trump plans to assemble investigative teams to look into 2020 election, Washington Post reports

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump plans to assemble investigative teams at the Department of Justice to search for evidence in battleground states that fraud tainted the 2020 election, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing a source.
Trump, who won the 2024 election but lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, has falsely claimed that he lost the 2020 election due to extensive voter fraud, a view shared by millions of his supporters.
Trump was indicted last year on federal charges for his attempts to overturn the election. The charges stemmed from an investigation by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
The Washington Post, citing two people close to Trump’s transition team, reported that Trump plans to fire the entire team that worked with Smith.


Dutch court weighs a lawsuit against arms sales to Israel

Updated 23 November 2024
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Dutch court weighs a lawsuit against arms sales to Israel

  • Opening the case at the court in The Hague, Judge Sonja Hoekstra noted: “It is important to underline that the Dutch State does not contest the gravity of the situation in Gaza, nor is the status of the West Bank”

THE HAGUE: Pro-Palestinian groups took the Dutch state to court on Friday, urging a halt to arms exports to Israel and accusing the government of failing to prevent what they termed a genocide in Gaza.
The NGOs argued that Israel is breaking international law in Gaza and the West Bank, invoking, among others, the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
“Israel is guilty of genocide and apartheid” and “is using Dutch weapons to wage war,” said Wout Albers, a lawyer representing the NGOs.
“Dutch weapons are killing children every day in Palestine, including my family,” said Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser to Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the suit. Israel furiously denies accusations of genocide as it presses on with the offensive in Gaza.
Opening the case at the court in The Hague, Judge Sonja Hoekstra noted: “It is important to underline that the Dutch State does not contest the gravity of the situation in Gaza, nor is the status of the West Bank.”
“Today is about finding out what is legally in play and what can be expected of the state if the state can be expected to do more or act differently than it is currently acting,” she added.
She acknowledged this was a “sensitive case,” saying: “It’s a whole legal debate.”
The lawyer for the Dutch State, Reimer Veldhuis, said the Netherlands has been applying European laws in force for arms exports.
Veldhuis argued the case should be tossed out.
“It is unlikely that the minister responsible will grant an arms export license to Israel that would contribute to the Israeli army’s activities in Gaza or the West Bank,” said Veldhuis.
The case comes one day after another court based in The Hague, the International Criminal Court, issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister.

 


How COP29 outcome may impact countries most affected by climate change

Updated 22 November 2024
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How COP29 outcome may impact countries most affected by climate change

  • UN Climate Change Conference in Baku brought together policymakers, researchers and environmentalists from 200 countries
  • Discussions covered energy transition, climate finance, loss and damage funding and environmental cost of geopolitical tensions

BAKU, Azerbaijan: The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference concluded in the capital of Azerbaijan on Friday with climate activists, world leaders and investors reflecting on climate change’s global impacts and the urgent need for actionable solutions.

This year’s event emphasized financing mechanisms, particularly to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable nations, and especially the developing countries most affected by climate change.

COP29 — the 29th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations climate organization UNFCCC — ran from Nov. 11 to 22 and brought together policymakers, researchers, and environmentalists from 200 countries.

A dominant theme was energy transition, as fossil fuel emissions remain the biggest driver of global warming.

The UN reports that burning coal, oil, and gas accounts for more than 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and roughly 90 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions.

“War creates a climate crisis not just where it happens; it pollutes air, water, and land,” said one of the participants at COP 29. (AN photo by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)

Policymakers argued that reducing reliance on traditional fuels and adopting modern energy solutions could significantly shrink the global carbon footprint and bring the world closer to net-zero targets.

The University of Exeter’s Global Carbon Budget recently projected total CO2 emissions to rise from 40.6 billion metric tons in 2023 to 41.6 billion in 2024.

COP29 has been called "the finance COP," referring to the significance of funding to put an end to the rapid increase of global temperatures. (AN photo by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)

Sharing his perspective on the COP29 negotiations and the change he hopes to see, climate activist Philip McMaster, known on social media as SustainaClaus, told Arab News he is campaigning for a a healthier environment for children.

“The message of SustainaClaus is ‘Make childhood great again.’ Why? Because we all had a childhood before,” he said on the sidelines of the conference. “It was either great or not, but it was a very important period of time, and that is what these negotiations should be about: how we make the world a better place for the next generations.”

He added: “I hope to see global change.”

DID YOUKNOW?

• In the first week of COP29, as a step to foster sustainable energy, Saudi Arabia signed an executive program with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan to strengthen collaboration on renewable energy development.

• The COP29 agenda included energy transition, finance, urbanization and Article 6.

• Climate finance was the main topic discussed in Baku, along with the need to raise funds for vulnerable nations.

Military activity also emerged as a significant environmental threat. Olga Lermak, communications lead at Greencubator, a Ukraine-based cleantech accelerator, noted the ecological devastation caused by war.

“War creates a climate crisis not just where it happens; it pollutes air, water, and land,” she said.

Harmony among people is a top priority to maintain a healthier environment, according to some activists. (AN photo by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)

Ukraine accounts for 35 percent of Europe’s biodiversity, including 70,000 plant and animal species, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Among its endangered animals are the sandy blind mole-rat, the Russian desman, and the saker falcon.

The country’s ongoing conflict with Russia has caused significant damage to that biodiversity, according to Lermak.

“I hope that the negotiations held here bring great solutions, something that will help us to move forward,” she said. “I hope it is not just conversations, not just talking, but real action after this.”

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Another key issue debated at COP29 was loss and damage funding — addressing “unavoided” damage caused by climate change in the most vulnerable countries as well as “unavoidable” damage such as that caused by rising sea levels. Investment in emissions reduction was one of the key solutions put forward for dealing with unavoided damage.

Researchers from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change estimate that the loss and damage needs of vulnerable countries will amount to between $130 billion and $940 billion in 2025 alone.

Gloria Bulus, team lead at Nigeria’s Bridge that Gap Initiative, emphasized that beyond highlighting loss and damage, there must also be a focus on delivering investment and implementing concrete solutions.

Gloria Bulus, team lead at Nigeria’s Bridge that Gap Initiative. ( AN photo by Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)

“We are expecting a lot to be (invested) in terms of the loss and damage, so that it goes beyond the speeches,” she said.

Highlighting some of the pressing environmental challenges her country is facing, Bulus expressed her hope for “fair” negotiations.

“Negotiations have been very slow for us,” she said. “What we want is action. What we want is an outcome that favors people, where we have renewable energy transition.”

Among other steps, COP29 promised to secure “the highest ambition outcome possible,” proposing that wealthier countries contribute $250 billion annually to developing nations to support their efforts in tackling climate change.
 

 


UK car wash owners trafficked thousands of people from Middle East to Europe

Dilshad Shamo and Ali Khdir pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court for their roles in a human trafficking ring. (Supplied)
Updated 22 November 2024
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UK car wash owners trafficked thousands of people from Middle East to Europe

  • Migrants from Syria, Iraq, Iran offered different tiers of service
  • Dilshad Shamo and Ali Khdir trafficked 100 people per week in trucks, ships and by plane

LONDON: Thousands of people from the Middle East were trafficked into Europe through a vast people smuggling network based out of a British car wash.

In an operation that at times resembled a travel agency, people from Syria, Iraq and Iran were offered different tiers of service to be smuggled into Europe by various routes. 

Two men pleaded guilty in a UK court on Friday to charges related to their roles in the people smuggling ring.

The UK’s National Crime Agency said Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, operated from the unlikely location of a car wash in Caerphilly, a town in Wales.

They were arrested in April 2023 after they had been placed under surveillance as part of an investigation that found they were trafficking about 100 people a week over a period of two years, the BBC reported.

 

 

The men used messaging and social media apps to advertise their services with videos from people who had made the journeys.

One video shows a man hidden in the back of a truck with other migrants.

“Lorry route agreement, crossing agreement with the knowledge of driver,” he says. “Here we have men, women and children. Thank God the route was easy and good.”

Another video shows a family traveling by plane. “We are very happy … this is the visa, may God bless him, we are really happy,” the migrant says.

Shamo and Khdir offered three tiers of service, the lowest being smuggling people into Europe by foot or vehicle; the next by cargo ships or yachts; and the highest level arranged travel by plane. 

The smuggling routes went through Turkiye, Belarus, Moldova and Bosnia and ended in Italy, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Germany and France. The NCA said many of the migrants continued to the UK.

Payment was made using informal “hawala” money transfers through brokers based in Iraq and Istanbul.

Once a deposit was made, Shamo and Khdir would receive a message and arrange for the migrants to be transported by their specified route or timeframe. The two men used WhatsApp to communicate with people smugglers across Europe.

The NCA said they were part of a larger organized crime group and could have made hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds that is unlikely to be recovered, the BBC reported.

“Ali Khdir and Dilshad Shamo were leading a double life,” NCA Branch Commander Derek Evans said. “While on the surface they seemed to be operating a successful car wash, they were actually part of a prolific people smuggling group moving migrants across Europe and taking thousands in payment.

 

 

“We worked painstakingly to piece together their movements to prove their important roles in a group, from advertising their services through videos to boasting of successful trips on messaging groups.”

The UK’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum Angela Eagle said criminals like Khdir and Shamo put countless lives at risk by smuggling vulnerable people in a “shameless attempt to make cash.”

She added: “We are taking action against the people smuggling gangs and will stop at nothing to dismantle their networks and bring justice to the system.”

Shamo and Khdir pleaded guilty 10 days into their trial at Cardiff Crown Court and will be sentenced at a later date.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made smashing people smuggling gangs a key pledge of his election campaign earlier this year.

He has vowed to treat traffickers like terrorists and announced a new Border Security Command with additional powers to track human traffickers and shut down their bank accounts.

Politicians in the EU are battling to stem public anger at rising immigration with more than 380,000 illegal border crossings made into the EU in 2023.

Many fear that if conflicts in the Middle East escalate, Europe could face a steep rise in illegal migration similar to 2015 at the height of the Syrian Civil War.