A would-be assassin who flew from America to Birmingham disguised in a niqab to murder a shop owner has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder after her gun jammed during the assassination attempt.
Aimee Betro, 45, from Wisconsin, was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court of plotting to kill Sikander Ali outside his home in the Yardley area of the city in September 2019. The jury deliberated for almost 21 hours before returning majority 11-1 verdicts on conspiracy to murder and firearm charges, with a unanimous verdict on illegally importing ammunition.
Prosecutors revealed Betro was part of a revenge plot orchestrated by her lover Mohammed Nabil Nazir, 31, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, who were embroiled in a violent feud with Mr Ali’s family. The American flew to the UK specifically to carry out the assassination, hiding her identity behind Islamic dress before attempting to shoot her victim at point-blank range.
Gun Jammed During Assassination Attempt
CCTV footage shown to the court captured the dramatic moment on 7 September 2019 when Betro, disguised in a niqab, waited for 45 minutes outside Mr Ali’s house in Measham Grove. As the shopkeeper arrived home shortly after 8pm, she approached him with a firearm.
In a stroke of fortune for Mr Ali, the handgun jammed when Betro attempted to fire. The intended victim immediately jumped back into his car and reversed away at speed, clipping Betro’s Mercedes in his desperate escape. The footage shows Betro fleeing the scene after the failed attempt.
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas from West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Unit described the crime as “a brazen attempt,” noting there “doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of effort to avoid detection.” He added: “I think she fell foul of a really slick, dynamic law enforcement operation over here.
Taunting Messages and Second Attack
Following the botched assassination, Betro sent chilling messages to Mr Ali’s father, Aslat Mahumad, with whom her co-conspirators were feuding. The taunts included: “Where are you hiding?”, “Stop playing hide and seek, you are lucky it jammed,” and challenging him to meet her at a nearby Asda.
Undeterred by her initial failure, Betro returned to the scene in the early hours of the following morning. At approximately 1am, she booked a taxi back to Mr Ali’s home and fired three shots at the property, which was fortunately empty at the time. She fled back to America the next day, flying out before authorities could apprehend her.
The court heard the revenge plot stemmed from a July 2018 incident at Mr Mahumad’s clothing boutique in Birmingham, where Nazir and Aslam were injured during violent disorder. This led the father and son to conspire to murder Mr Mahumad or a member of his family.
Dating App Romance Led to Murder Plot
During her trial, Betro claimed she had travelled to the UK to celebrate her birthday and attend a boat party in London. She told jurors she had met Nazir on a dating app and had visited Britain twice before, describing him as “charming” and admitting she “had feelings for him.”
Asked about her third visit, arriving at Manchester Airport from Atlanta two weeks before the shooting, Betro maintained: “To celebrate my birthday, and I won tickets for another boat party in London.” She claimed to be in Birmingham city centre during both shooting incidents.
In her defence, Betro suggested the perpetrator was “another American woman” who looked, dressed and sounded like her. She told jurors it was “all just a terrible coincidence” that she was spotted around the corner from the assassination scene just six minutes later.
Ammunition Smuggling Operation
Prosecutors also revealed Betro’s involvement in smuggling weapons to the UK. On 16 October 2019, she sent three parcels containing ammunition and gun parts from a post office 100 miles from her home, using a fake name.
The packages, wrapped in foil and paper inside cardboard boxes, were addressed to a man from Derby as part of what prosecutors called Nazir’s “devious scheme” to frame him. Police intercepted the parcels after Nazir tipped them off, leading to the innocent man’s arrest before the plot unravelled and he was released without charge.
Crucially, Betro’s DNA was found on the gun parts and ammunition inside all three packages, providing damning forensic evidence against her.
International Manhunt and Extradition
Betro was living in Armenia when Nazir and Aslam were jailed in November 2024, receiving sentences of 32 years and 10 years respectively. She was arrested there last summer before being extradited to face justice in January 2025.
Specialist National Extradition Unit officers from the National Crime Agency’s Joint International Crime Centre flew her into Gatwick Airport to face trial. Throughout proceedings, Betro maintained her innocence, showing no reaction as the guilty verdicts were delivered whilst wearing a purple T-shirt with her hair in space buns.
Defence barrister Paul Lewis KC confirmed no pre-sentence reports would be requested as they “would not assist the court.” Judge Simon Drew KC scheduled sentencing for Thursday 21 August, telling the court: “I suspect Miss Betro would like to know the outcome of this case and there is nothing worse than sitting waiting.
DCI Orencas reflected on the case: “I don’t know whether that was her perspective from America, that that’s how we operate, but zero tolerance around firearms, criminality on these shores.” The conviction serves as a stark warning about the UK’s tough stance on gun crime and the reach of British justice across international borders.
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