8. Return of the King

Available for over a year

The search for a convicted people smuggler who put money in the UK planning for retirement. This investigation stems from a tip-off: a convicted smuggler once dubbed the most successful in history, is currently living in the UK and running a string of businesses here. Could it be true? Sue and Rob go on the hunt for Twana Jamal – a smuggler who had so many aliases he had to write them on his baseball cap to remind himself which he was using. In court, prosecutors said he and his gang were making £4 million a year and they believed he was funnelling his money into UK businesses: car washes and mini-markets. The search for Twana Jamal starts in the north of England, where migrants report seeing Twana driving a BMW and exuding an air of wealth. They remember how feared he was in the Calais camp: it was migrants there who reported him to police. His gang was the first to industrialise the lorry crossings, which featured so heavily in 2016 as thousands waited to reach Britain. After a smuggling conviction and five-year prison sentence in France, Twana Jamal entered the UK and is believed to have given a different alias to the Home Office. Sue and Rob track him down to an English village, where he’s running a string of stores selling vapes, sweets and alcohol. Over several days they watch his movements to find out more about his life here. When the moment is right, they plan to confront him. The series is researched and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie. It is produced and overseen by Joel Moors. Original music is by Mom Tudie. Sound design and mix is by Tom Brignell. Editorial, legal, production and commissioning decisions are overseen by Tracy Williams, Dan Clarke, Joe Kent, Will Drysdale, Lynne Jones and Ross Allen.