He drives a sleek £90,000 BMW SUV, sports a flashy gold watch, and can often be found running his affairs from cafes or a solicitor’s office in West Yorkshire.
To outsiders, he is known as Shaxawan Jamal or Kardos Mateen, but among those in the know, he is simply “the accountant.”
Last week, this elusive man was revealed as the King of the Mini Mart – a central figure in a Kurdish organised crime network operating openly on Britain’s high streets.
His empire doesn’t just run convenience stores.
It is deeply entwined with illegal employment for asylum seekers, offering the promise of quick profits through contraband cigarettes and vapes, drawing in vulnerable migrants eager to earn.
A Web of Mini-Marts, Car Washes, and Barbershops
Records show the syndicate has set up more than 100 outlets nationwide.
Many of these are disguised as barbershops, car washes, or small convenience stores.
The network employs “ghost directors” and rotates businesses frequently to avoid scrutiny, keeping the operation under the radar.
In Crewe, a Kurdish asylum seeker running a mini-mart told reporters that illegal tobacco sales alone could bring in up to £3,000 a week – translating to a potential £150,000 a year.
Shockingly, some customers were reportedly as young as 12, while vapes were being sold to schoolchildren.
Life Behind the Counter
We visited several outlets linked to Shaxawan’s network.
Workers were largely men from Kurdish, Iranian, or Iraqi backgrounds.
Most spoke little English and had limited knowledge of who they were working for.
Many insisted they were just “helping out” or filling in for the owners.
At The Spon Minimarket in Coventry, a 21-year-old Iranian named Lasha sold 50 grams of Amber Leaf rolling tobacco for £5 – a fraction of the supermarket price of £43.
Similarly, in Blackpool, workers at two mini-marts claimed ignorance of any illegal activity, stating they were legally settled in the UK and simply filling shelves.
The Exploitative System
Asylum seekers cannot legally work while their applications are being processed, but gangs like Shaxawan’s exploit these delays.
Some migrants were found working 14-hour shifts for as little as £4 an hour, while others were offered the chance to “run” mini-marts under false company registrations.
The network even advertised mini-marts for sale on Facebook and offered services like building hidden compartments to conceal contraband during inspections.
Shaxawan himself explained to undercover reporters how he could set up fake companies, provide card machines, and ensure electricity and tenancy issues were handled – all while protecting owners from fines.
Tricks of the Trade
When authorities issue fines – sometimes as high as £45,000 – Shaxawan claimed his group could reduce them to zero by shifting responsibility to “ghost directors.”
A paralegal in Huddersfield was reportedly on hand to craft documents and business agreements to avoid penalties.
One shopkeeper in Crewe even offered to sell a mini-mart to an undercover reporter for £18,000, explaining that paying someone £250 a month to be listed on official papers allowed the shop to evade Immigration enforcement.
The Cost to the UK
HMRC estimates the trade in illegal cigarettes and vapes costs the UK at least £2.2 billion annually in lost revenue.
In the wake of the BBC investigation, Shaxawan denied all allegations.
The Home Office has promised action. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that illegal working and organised crime encourage illegal migration.
She highlighted a 51% increase in government raids this year, fines for illegal employment rising to £60,000 per individual, and the removal of over 35,000 people without the right to work.
A Network Operating in Plain Sight
Despite the sophistication of his operations, Shaxawan’s empire thrives in plain sight, with shops in deprived areas from Newcastle to Clacton-on-Sea, and the majority clustered in the north west and Yorkshire.
While some workers claim ignorance, the network’s reach and ingenuity underline the challenges authorities face in policing high-street organised crime.
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