Crime

West wales businessman on trial for smuggling migrants

Published

1 year ago

August 27, 2024

THE ONGOING trial of a west Wales man accused of smuggling migrants into the UK has revealed more than just the harrowing conditions faced by those involved. It has also brought to light a complex network of business connections spanning South Wales, raising questions about the true nature of these operations and their links to unlawful activities.

The trial of 43-year-old Anas Al Mustafa at Lewes Crown Court has gripped public attention. Al Mustafa, who moved to the UK from Syria in 2011 and now resides in Swansea, is charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK. The charges stem from an incident on 16 February, when seven migrants were discovered concealed in a refrigerated van on a ferry from Dieppe to Newhaven. Jurors heard that the migrants were found in a dangerously small, airless compartment, screaming for help as they ran out of oxygen.

Prosecutors argued that Al Mustafa played a key role in the smuggling operation, with evidence suggesting he was aware of the human cargo in his vehicle. Although Al Mustafa claims he was merely a driver unaware of the migrants, his suspicious behaviour during the rescue operation and the unusually high payment he received for the job have cast doubt on his defence.

***The incident sparked an emergency response at Newhaven port (Pic: Eddie Mitchel/BBC News Hub)***

Beyond the immediate details of the smuggling operation, the trial has drawn attention to Al Mustafa’s extensive business connections in South Wales. Al Mustafa is linked to several companies across the region, with ties to Swansea, Cardiff, and Bedwas. These connections suggest a network of businesses that may be involved in activities beyond their stated purposes.

Al Mustafa was previously the director of A & T Food Transport Ltd., a company registered at 22 Caepistyll Street in Swansea. The company, which operates out of a property owned by Coastal Housing Group, raises questions about the legality of running businesses from social housing. Al Mustafa resigned from this position in September 2023, passing control to Mohammad Mustafa al Mustafa, a Swedish national believed to be a relative.

Investigations have revealed that this is just one of several businesses associated with Al Mustafa. Other companies include Amana Accountant Ltd. and Pure General Trading Ltd., both of which have connections to properties owned by Swansea Council. The frequent changes in directors, addresses, and the apparent lack of substantial financial activity within these businesses have raised suspicions about their true purpose.

The business connections extend to Cardiff, where A & T Food Transport’s Certificate of Incorporation lists an address in St Mellons. Al Mustafa’s personal address in Cardiff is linked to Somarz Properties LLP, a company that has seen a significant and unexplained increase in investments, further complicating the web of financial dealings surrounding these individuals.

In Bedwas, Al Mustafa was involved with A & B Marble Ltd., a company trading under the name Royal Marble. Despite claims of over 20 years of experience in the marble and granite industry, the company’s financial records and online presence suggest otherwise. The discrepancies between the company’s stated history and its actual operations, including the lack of significant assets, add to the growing list of concerns.

The ongoing trial of Anas Al Mustafa has brought to light not only the dangers faced by migrants attempting to enter the UK but also a complex network of business operations across South Wales. These businesses, linked by common directors and questionable financial activities, raise concerns about their role in the broader context of unlawful activities.

Jurors have heard how the crew on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry heard pleas from the van on 16 February and used an axe to break down a fake partition to get them out.

Mr Al Mustafa said it was the “most difficult day of his life”.

Speaking through an Arabic interpreter in court on Thursday (Aug 22), he said: “I remember only certain scenes of what was going on. I saw a person throwing up. I saw them when they were getting the people inside to outside. It was a shock to me.”

The court previously heard how, in Syria, he had been introduced to a man called Badr who said he needed him to do a job driving a van.

Jurors were also told Mr Al Mustafa said he had previously been paid £500 to drive a van to Liverpool, but for the February job, he was being paid £5,000 to drive the van to the UK.

The court heard Mr Al Mustafa told police, in an interview with no interpreter, he did not know there were people in the van, but because he was being paid £5,000, he thought “maybe this time there is people inside”.

In court, however, Mr Al Mustafa said the £5,000 sum was incorrect and he meant £500.

He said he did not remember telling police he thought maybe people were in the van and he didn’t know why he said that.

The father-of-two said: “My problem is not what we spoke in there (interview) I didn’t understand. When it was being read here, I noticed there are things I can’t remember I said, and what I said is not correct even.”

The court heard he had been offered an interpreter for the police interview, but after he was told one was not available then, he said he would try in English.

Asked if he knew there were illegal immigrants in the van, the self-employed builder said: “No, only after it was discovered.

“I don’t need to do that kind of job.

“I have my business. I have my company. I have my accounts and I have proof of accounts for 13 years. Why would I do something that is illegal?”

Further revelations may soon emerge in court about the extent of Al Mustafa’s involvement in these businesses and their connections to the smuggling operation. The case serves as a reminder of the intricate and often hidden networks that can operate behind seemingly legitimate enterprises, with potential implications for law enforcement and public trust in business practices across the region.

The trial continues.

(Cover Pic: Eddie Mitchel/BBC News Hub)

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

16 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

44 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

5 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.