In a stunning 45-minute interview, a veteran migrant smuggler known as 'Haji Ajmal' boasted that he has paid informants inside the UK government who provide him with intelligence on police operations and checkpoints. The Afghan criminal, who claims to have operated for 15 years, made the admission with quiet arrogance, leaving Home Affairs and Defence Editor Michael Knowles 'flabbergasted'.
Smuggler claims government insiders on payroll
Ajmal stated: 'We have some people inside the Government to report to us what's happening. They give us some information … There are some people who are taking money. They are helping us.' He added that these informants provide reports on police activity, saying: 'Okay, we have checkpoints' or 'today, we have police searching.'
When pressed on how many such individuals were in the UK, Ajmal was evasive but insisted the network extends from Turkey to the UK. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously acknowledged the threat that criminal gangs pose to public sector workers, including those in policing, immigration, and customs.
Bravado or genuine threat?
Knowles noted that while the claim could be a bluff designed to mislead investigators, the smuggler's confidence suggested otherwise. Ajmal felt emboldened enough to brag to a journalist, seemingly unbothered by law enforcement threats. The smuggler's astuteness also came through when he criticised politicians' repeated failures to deport illegal migrants, saying: 'We are much better than politicians. At least we manage to send some people to the other destinations.'
The smuggler admitted that gangs often lie to migrants about the safety of routes and boats, promising a trouble-free journey despite the dangers of flimsy vessels or overcrowded lorries. He said: 'We tell a lot of things to our clients. 'Okay, we'll take you to the UK, or Europe, without any problems'. 'We will do this, we will do that'. But when it comes to action, we miss a lot of things.'
Fear behind the arrogance
Knowles suggested that Ajmal's bolshiness might reveal the smugglers' real fear: that if governments were to deport tens of thousands of illegal arrivals, their business would collapse. Behind the arrogance, there could be dread. The interview comes as the UK government faces mounting pressure to end the Channel migrant crisis, with Labour's Shabana Mahmood under scrutiny.
Reform UK's Zia Yusuf reacted angrily, calling the allegations 'treason' and demanding action against 'corrupt insiders' helping smugglers. The full interview is set to be published on Monday, with Knowles warning readers to expect callous details about the smuggling network's willingness to use violence.
