An illiterate goatherder from northern Iraq has been convicted of dealing Class A drugs on the streets of Aberystwyth as part of an organised crime group. Hawre Ahmed, along with fellow Kurd Karwan Jabari, was involved in flooding the Welsh town with cocaine and cannabis. The two men were caught following a major police investigation into a Swansea- and Birmingham-based crime gang that operated in Aberystwyth.
Ahmed and Jabari were recruited as part of a gang that used asylum seekers as couriers and dealers, using businesses like car washes and barber shops as fronts for their drug operation. The gang’s conspiracy is estimated to be worth over £400,000, with multiple members already sentenced for their roles. However, the leaders of the gang are currently on the run and believed to have fled to Iraq.
The Swansea Crown Court heard that the gang ran a sophisticated operation using county lines-type model, with trusted operatives embedded in Aberystwyth. The group used multiple properties and guesthouses in the town and employed couriers, including a taxi driver, to transport drugs, cash, and people to and from mid Wales. Many of those recruited by the gang were asylum seekers granted leave to remain in the UK.
Ahmed, aged 35, and Jabari, aged 26, have been sentenced to four years and three years in prison, respectively. Ahmed, who is illiterate, was described as a goatherder seeking a better life in the UK, while Jabari was said to have fallen off the path of goodness but is taking steps to rectify his actions while in prison.
The court case highlighted the gang’s operation, revealing the extent of their drug trafficking activities in Aberystwyth. The sentencing reflects the severity of their crimes and serves as a warning to others involved in drug-related offences. The police investigation and subsequent legal proceedings have been crucial in disrupting the criminal activities of the organised crime group.