LEICESTERSHIRE — Twana Jamal, who received a five-year prison sentence in France for people smuggling in 2016, has been found living and working in Blaby, Leicestershire. Mr. Jamal was observed working at two mini-marts named Candy Corner and driving a car without a valid license.

During an undercover interaction, Mr. Jamal introduced himself as "Sultan." He has a tattoo on one hand that matches images associated with the name Sultan Pasha on social media. French court records indicate Mr. Jamal, an Iraqi Kurd who was 36 at the time of his 2016 trial, used multiple aliases including "Pasha" during his activities in France.

French prosecutors stated that Mr. Jamal earned up to £100,000 per week moving illegal immigrants across the Channel, charging customers between £4,500 and £5,000 for crossings. He operated out of the Grand Synthe camp near Dunkirk from approximately 2012 until 2016. He was linked to the Ranya Boys, a Kurdish gang involved in cross-Channel people smuggling.

In French court, Mr. Jamal claimed his conviction was a case of mistaken identity and was told he faced deportation to Iraqi Kurdistan after his release. When confronted recently, he denied involvement in people smuggling and denied being jailed in France. He did not deny a 2016 courtroom photograph was of him when it was shown to him.

Mr. Jamal claimed he had been in the United Kingdom since 2009. He stated he had applied for asylum in the UK and was "still waiting" for a decision. When asked for his name, he refused to provide it, stating, "I don't care." He also claimed that the Home Office and immigration service already knew his name.

During the interaction, Mr. Jamal said, "We know everyone in this city, this city is ours." He added, "No-one touches us here. Even the police won't stop you." He denied working at the mini-mart where he was confronted, and when asked if he was concerned about being recognized, he responded, "So what? Did I hit you?"

UK law mandates the refusal of asylum for individuals who have spent 12 months or more in prison overseas. Lucy Morton, a representative for the Immigration Services Union, stated that the UK no longer has data-sharing agreements with many EU countries following Brexit. Morton said authorities would know about convictions if databases were shared with neighboring countries. Law enforcement officials in mainland Europe have stated that 15 other convicted people smugglers are reportedly living in the UK under false names.