Pair deny smuggling illegal migrants from Syria

An outside shot of Cardiff Crown Court
The two men appeared before Cardiff Crown Court [BBC]

Two men have denied being part of a conspiracy to smuggle illegal migrants across Europe into the UK.

Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, from Caerphilly, are accused of moving hundreds of people in cars, lorries and boats to the UK from Iraq, Iran and Syria.

The offences are alleged to have been carried out between October 2022 and April 2023.

Appearing at Cardiff Crown Court, both men pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiring to breach migration laws in Italy, Romania, Croatia and Germany to bring migrants to the UK and they are expected to stand trial on 11 November.