An Indian-origin man has been convicted alongside four others following a major child sexual exploitation and human trafficking investigation in Wales, with a UK court finding the group guilty of more than 40 offences involving three teenage girls.Jaswinder Singh, 61, was convicted at Caernarfon Crown Court of two counts of conspiracy to traffic and one count of supplying cannabis after a three-month trial. The convictions stem from offences committed between April 2022 and March 2024 in Rhyl and surrounding parts of Denbighshire, North Wales Police said, PTI reported.The jury also found Mustafa Iqbal, Mohamed Usman Arshad, Ziaullah Badshah and Sarah Gray guilty on multiple charges, including rape, conspiracy to traffic, child sexual exploitation, drug supply and attempts to obstruct justice.
Investigation uncovered abuse of teenage girls
According to North Wales Police, the case centred on the exploitation of three girls aged between 14 and 16, who were subjected to abuse at residential properties, business premises and in vehicles across the region.The investigation was carried out under Operation Embank and Operation Zirconium, which targeted organised child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.Detective Chief Inspector Richard Sidney, the senior investigating officer, said the victims had been manipulated and exploited by adults who took advantage of their vulnerability.“They were children, aged just 14 to 16, when they were subjected to exploitation and abuse by adults who took advantage of their vulnerabilities and sought to manipulate and control them for their own gain,” he said.Highlighting the lasting impact on the victims, Sidney added: “No child should have to experience what these young women endured. The impact of child sexual exploitation can be profound and long-lasting, and the harm caused by these offences cannot be understated.”
Jury convicts all five defendants
Throughout the trial, prosecutors presented evidence relating to rape, sexual assault, child sexual exploitation, modern slavery offences, drug supply and efforts to obstruct justice.Although all five defendants denied the allegations during the proceedings, the jury unanimously convicted them of more than 40 offences.Reflecting on the verdict, Sidney said: “Rather than accepting responsibility for the appalling harm they caused, they forced these young women to endure the additional trauma of a lengthy trial, requiring them to relive their experiences in a courtroom. I hope today’s outcome sends a clear message that those who seek to groom and exploit vulnerable children will be relentlessly pursued.”Among those convicted, Mustafa Iqbal, 43, was found guilty of multiple offences including rape, sexual assault, trafficking conspiracy, drug supply and breaching a slavery and trafficking risk order. Mohamed Usman Arshad, 36, and Ziaullah Badshah, 25, were each convicted of rape, trafficking conspiracy, compulsory labour conspiracy and supplying cannabis.Sarah Gray, 53, was convicted of perverting the course of justice, assisting an offender, conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis.Singh, Iqbal, Arshad and Badshah have been remanded in custody, while Gray was granted bail ahead of sentencing at Caernarfon Crown Court on September 25.
