Crime

Father and Son Jailed for Over 40 Years After Hiring Hitwoman in Botched Birmingham Murder Plot

Published

4 weeks ago

November 7, 2024

Mohamed Aslam left and Mohammed Nazir right were jailed today for conspiracy to murder

A father and son have been sentenced to over 40 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to murder a shopkeeper and his family in a botched assassination attempt in Birmingham in 2019.

Mohammed Nazir, 30, and his father, Mohammed Aslam, 56, hired American hitwoman Aimee Betro to kill Sikander Ali outside his home.

Betro, who wore a hijab as part of her disguise, attempted the murder, but the gun she was carrying malfunctioned, preventing the execution.

Aimee Betro Image taken from Facebook Social Media No Permission Given

Mohammed Nazir, 30, and his father, Mohammed Aslam, 56, were said to have ordered American ‘assassin’ Aimee Betro to shoot Sikander Ali (Picture: Facebook)

At the city’s Crown Court, it was revealed that the two men had planned the attack as part of a revenge scheme linked to a prior dispute involving wedding clothes. The plot was described by Judge Simon Drew KC as a “methodical and well-planned” attack, with Nazir and Aslam even scouting the area before the attempt.

Betro, originally from Wisconsin, fled back to the US the day after the botched murder. However, she was later tracked to Armenia, where she was arrested and is now facing extradition to the UK to stand trial for her role in the conspiracy.

Father and son guilty of Birmingham murder plot A father and son have been found guilty of conspiracy to murder over a plot to kill a man in Birmingham. Mohammed Aslam, aged 56, and Mohammed Nazir, aged 30, from Elms Avenue in Derby, planned to kill their target following a dispute at a Birmingham clothing store in 2018 which left them both injured. Bent on revenge they became part of a plan to kill the owner of the Birmingham store or target one of his family. On 7 September 2019 the victim had driven home to South Yardley, Birmingham. As he got out of his car he was threatened with a gun. The weapon jammed, allowing him to escape. Threatening messages were then sent to his, and an attempt was made to lure the victim to meet with the group. When the victim did not attend, their house was shot three times. We began an investigation into the shootings, with the trail leading to Aslam and Nazir.

Mohammed Nazir was sentenced to 32 years imprisonment (Picture: West Midlands Police)

The court heard how Betro waited for hours outside Mr Ali’s home, and when he arrived, she attempted to shoot him from close range. CCTV footage captured her getting out of her car and aiming the gun at him, though it failed to discharge. Mr Ali described the chilling moment, recalling how he saw a woman in a hijab approach him with a gun before he quickly got back into his car, slamming the door shut in panic.

Mohammed Aslam was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment (Picture: West Midlands Police)

Betro later returned in a taxi, firing three shots through the windows of Mr. Ali’s house, though no one was injured. The attempted execution was followed by threatening texts sent to Mr Ali’s father, saying, “Where are you hiding?” and “You are lucky it jammed.”

Nazir and Aslam were both convicted of conspiracy to murder, with Nazir also found guilty of firearms offences and perverting the course of justice. Nazir was sentenced to 32 years in prison, while Aslam received a 10-year sentence.

The case involved a complex investigation involving UK authorities and US law enforcement collaboration. It included retrieving forensic evidence linking the offenders to the crime scenes.

Hannah Sidaway of the Crown Prosecution Service said, “These convictions and sentences serve as a reminder of the consequences of using deadly weapons on our streets. We will continue to work with our criminal justice partners to bring such perpetrators to justice.”