The Daily Mail has reported that an Afghan asylum seeker described as the “mastermind” of a major network for trafficking stolen mobile phones in Britain has been sentenced to nine years and six months in prison.

According to this report published on Friday, September 24 (Mizaan 3), Amir Khadikhil, 35, along with Ismat Miakhil, 33, and Mansour Mohammad, 30, were involved in receiving and transferring tens of thousands of stolen mobile phones.

The Daily Mail wrote that Khadikhil led this network, and more than 62,000 stolen iPhones, worth approximately £181 million, were transferred to China and Dubai.

According to the Daily Mail, this network sent two large shipments per week through DHL and UPS companies and sold the stolen phones in markets in the Middle East and East Asia.

In the same case, Ismat Miakhil was sentenced to nine years and Mansour Mohammad to six years and six months in prison.

The Metropolitan Police of London has described this group as part of “the largest mobile phone trafficking network in Britain.”

During the investigation, more than 5,000 mobile phones worth £5.5 million were also discovered and seized.

The Daily Mail also reported that Khadikhil entered Britain in 2019 after fleeing Afghanistan and did not have legal work permission at the time of his asylum application.

His lawyer said that Khadikhil was homeless at that time and was employed by an Afghan citizen.