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A grooming gang of four men and one woman—including offenders of Indian and Pakistani heritage—has been sentenced to a combined total of 81 years in prison for turning three vulnerable teenage girls into sex slaves in Rhyl, North Wales. The ringleader, 43-year-old Mustafa Iqbal, was handed a 35-year custodial sentence at Caernarfon Crown Court on 25 September 2026 after being convicted of 21 offences, including four counts of rape.
The case, which Daily Dazzling Dawn understands represents one of the most complex investigations undertaken by North Wales Police into child sexual exploitation, has reignited calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs to be extended to Wales. The victims—aged just 14, 15, and 16 at the time of the abuse—were groomed with drugs and alcohol before being subjected to repeated sexual violence between April 2022 and March 2024.
Origins and Ethnicity of the Convicted Gang- The backgrounds of the five convicted individuals reveal a diverse picture. Jaswinder Singh, 61, of River Street, Rhyl, is an Indian-origin man from the Punjab region. He was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to traffic and one count of supplying cannabis to another. Singh, a former builder and jobless at the time of sentencing, drove the victims around Rhyl and supplied them with cannabis.
Ziaullah Badshah, 25, of Brighton Road, Rhyl, is a Pakistani national who arrived in the UK as a refugee at the age of 15 in 2016. He was granted asylum after leaving his native Pakistan as a child and settled in Rhyl. The court heard that Badshah tried to blame the victims' parents following his arrest, telling detectives: "If you can't look after your kids, don't have babies".
Mustafa Iqbal, 43, of Trellewelyn Road, Rhyl, and Mohamed Usman Arshad, 36, of Clifton Grove, Rhyl, are both British nationals. Iqbal, a takeaway delivery driver from the Midlands, was described in court as a trained chef who later "descended into drug dealing". Arshad grew up in Rhyl and ran Zayn's Coffee House, once named the "friendliest café in Rhyl".
Sarah Gray, 53, of Llanasa Road, Gronant, is a British national and a grandmother originally from Manchester. She had previously battled a crack cocaine addiction and had moved to North Wales to escape her past.
Gang Used Urdu Slang and Exploited Vulnerable Girls- The court heard disturbing details of how the gang operated. Jurors were told the men referred to their victims using Urdu slang for prostitutes, while Arshad and Iqbal swapped vile text messages arguing about one of the girls being passed to another man for sex. Messages between the pair included "give that girl to next man" and "oi what up with you, have that girl," which Arshad dismissed in court as "banter".
The abuse began in March 2022 when Iqbal encountered two girls wandering the streets of Rhyl while under the influence of cannabis. He brought them back to his residence and informed his associates, Arshad and Badshah. The girls initially claimed to be 17 and 16, but one later disclosed their actual ages to be 15 and 14. They were given vodka and cannabis during a game of "spin the bottle" that involved kissing, and the abuse rapidly escalated.
A popular local coffee house—Zayn's Coffee House on Market Street, owned by Arshad—served as a key meeting point for the gang. At the time, it had been voted the town's business with the friendliest staff, masking the criminal activities of its owner.
In November 2023, Iqbal encountered another girl, aged 16, whom he "made his sexual interest in obvious" toward. Despite her initial rejection, she was drawn into a relationship where she exchanged sex for crack cocaine and cannabis. The court heard she was, in effect, a "sex slave". The victim later told police she would be picked up by Iqbal "every single day" and driven to Gray's property.
An adult acquainted with the girl alerted authorities, leading to Iqbal's arrest on 17 January 2024. He was found in possession of a sex toy and a noxious gas canister. Despite being issued with a sexual trafficking prevention order in December 2024 prohibiting him from contacting children, Iqbal changed his phone, vehicle, and address, continuing his abuse at properties in Gronant and Rhyl.
On one occasion, Iqbal restrained the girl with handcuffs and raped her forcefully. Sarah Gray subsequently laundered the bedding in an attempt to destroy forensic evidence, messaging Iqbal to confirm she had carried out the task. However, the victim preserved underwear containing DNA from Iqbal's final assault and alerted police. This critical evidence led to the arrest of all defendants on 7 August 2025 during coordinated raids across Rhyl.
Family Tragedies and Personal Circumstances- The trial revealed significant personal circumstances surrounding several defendants. Mohamed Arshad's family suffered a devastating tragedy in January 2023 when his father, Mohammed "Ash" Arshad, and brother, Suleman "Sol" Arshad, died within four days of each other. The family owned two cafés on Market Street in Rhyl—Zayn's Coffee House and Fish & Chips Cafe—and the deaths "shattered" the family.
Jaswinder Singh was described in court as a "lonely and socially isolated person" with a "devastating commitment to alcohol" and a "significant disability" that would make imprisonment challenging. His defence barrister stated that Singh recognised his association with the two girls was "inappropriate".
Iqbal's defence lawyer told the court his client is "someone who wants to impress others" and "wants to be liked." The court heard he will miss a large part of his children's development while in prison.
Badshah's barrister said a probation officer had described him as easily led and possessing his own vulnerabilities. He arrived in the UK alone as a teenager after his home in Pakistan was destroyed and a family member was killed.
Gray was characterised by her defence as a "minion" of Iqbal who had "sold her soul" to him in exchange for cocaine. She had journeyed to North Wales in a bid to break free from both her substance abuse and exploitative relationships, but had "slipped back" into drug use. Flintshire County Council later moved Gray out of her home due to "serious and credible threats" made against her.
Victim Impact: "I Have My Whole Life Ahead of Me" The sentencing hearing heard powerful victim impact statements. Child C, who was 14 when the abuse began, described the lasting trauma in a statement read by prosecutor Owen Edwards KC. "I had no idea quite how much impact this offence was going to have on my life and will continue to do so," she said. "I used to be very outgoing and happy, but now I feel I am more cautious and quieter when I meet new people".
She added: "I have panic attacks and anxiety at the thought of going into Rhyl town centre. I will rarely go out on my own after four years and will often invite a friend with me. If my friends suggest Rhyl, I will always suggest somewhere else".
Child C also revealed how the abuse affected her friendship with another victim: "I had to use a picture of a friend to say that he was my boyfriend to get Mustafa Iqbal to leave me alone. I have never understood why he couldn't take no for an answer. This now makes me question any man's motives when they try and speak to me".
An associate of Child B said the victim feels an "emotional weight far beyond what a young person should ever have to manage," describing her as "overwhelmed, anxious and disconnected from herself" and "visibly exhausted by her own thoughts and emotions".
Judge Simon Mills paid tribute to the victims, noting each girl suffered "severe psychological harm" and was "targeted because of their particular vulnerability." He commended them for showing "considerable courage in these proceedings, having survived the experiences these defendants subjected them to, then to be accused of lying by these defendants during the trial".
Judge Condemns Offenders as Dangerous- His Honour Judge Simon Mills condemned the defendants in the strongest terms. Addressing Iqbal directly, he declared: "I have no doubt you are a dangerous offender and you pose a serious risk to young girls". The judge noted Iqbal possessed an "apparently uncontrollable" and "voracious" sexual appetite.
The judge also reflected on the initial police investigation in 2022, which did not result in charges at that stage. "There should be some reflection—hindsight is a wonderful thing—on the failure to take action," he said, while emphasising he was not criticising North Wales Police given the additional evidence that subsequently emerged.
Mustafa Iqbal, 43, received a 30-year custodial sentence, with an additional five years to be served on extended licence—a total of 35 years. He must serve two-thirds before becoming eligible for parole and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Mohamed Usman Arshad, 36, was sentenced to 19 years. Ziaullah Badshah, 25, received 17 years. Jaswinder Singh, 61, was given an eight-year prison term. Sarah Gray, 53, received eight years' imprisonment.
Louisa Robertson of the Crown Prosecution Service praised the victims' bravery. "The victims of these shocking crimes showed great courage in speaking out against their abusers, and it is through their strength that we have brought all the offenders charged to justice," she said.
Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Sidney added: "Our message to those who target children for sexual exploitation is clear: we will investigate, we will pursue the evidence, and we will work with our partners to hold offenders to account".
The case has sparked calls for a long-awaited inquiry into England's grooming gangs to be expanded to Wales, with campaigners warning that the scourge of Britain's "rape gangs" has not gone away. A safeguarding review will also be conducted by the North Wales Safeguarding Board to learn from the incident.
