Investigators who helped catch would-be assassin after botched Birmingham hit lift lid on 'years of hard work'
Investigators say it was "sheer luck" nobody was hurt in would-be assassin Aimee Betro's botched attempt to kill a shopkeeper.
American-born Aimee Betro has been convicted of conspiracy to murder after attempting to kill a Birmingham clothing shop owner as part of an international assassination plot in September 2019.
At a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court today (August 12), Betro, 44, of Wisconsin, USA, was convicted of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent, and being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of ammunition.
The plan saw Betro fly into the UK as part of a revenge plot arranged by father and son duo, Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir, from Derbyshire, which had stemmed from a dispute the pair previously had with the clothing shop owner.
Now, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said that it was "sheer luck" that no-one was killed, and that the conviction was the result of "years of hard work".
Specialist prosecutor, Hannah Sidaway OBE, from the West Midlands CPS, said: "This prosecution is a culmination of years of hard work doggedly pursuing Aimee Betro across countries and borders while she remained relentless in her bid to escape justice.
“Betro tried to kill a man in a Birmingham street at point-blank range. It is sheer luck that he managed to get away unscathed.
“The prosecution case included incriminating CCTV footage from the scene of the crime, digital forensics, mobile phone data and evidence collated from cooperation and collaboration across multiple countries and criminal justice agencies – from West Midlands Police, Derbyshire Constabulary, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation – all of which pointed to one culprit."
The investigation revealed CCTV images of Betro, who had donned a niqab, attempting to shoot the victim at 'point-blank range'; however, the firearm jammed or malfunctioned, meaning her target could escape.
Later CCTV images showed Betro, who had been in a long-distance relationship with Nazir, driving a Mercedes with a damaged door, which the victim had driven into when he escaped.
Ms Sidaway added: "Only Betro knows what truly motivated her or what she sought to gain from becoming embroiled in a crime that meant she travelled hundreds of miles from Wisconsin to Birmingham to execute an attack on a man she did not know. The jury clearly agreed this was a planned hit which failed.
"Dangerous firearms have no place in our communities, and their use has all too often led to devastating consequences. Aimee Betro will now have to face the consequences of her actions.”
After failing the first assassination attempt, Betro returned to the victim's home three hours later, where she fired three rounds into the businessman's family home. Luckily, no one was injured in the attack.
Betro quickly fled the UK after the shooting, returning to America before later hiding out in Armenia, from where she was successfully extradited in July 2024.
John Sheenan, head of the CPS extradition unit, said: "This was a complex investigation and extradition process which required bringing together multiple agencies, including the National Crime Agency and Armenian Courts.
"We worked together to make sure we had a watertight prima facie case in order to lawfully arrest Aimee Betro in a foreign country without her becoming aware and potentially fleeing again.
“I hope these convictions send a clear message that we will actively work with our criminal justice partners domestically and internationally to pursue criminals who attempt to evade justice, and make sure that they are brought to a courtroom to be held accountable for their actions."
For their part in the crime, Nazir, from Derbyshire, was sentenced to 32 years for offences including conspiracy to murder, while his father was sentenced to 10 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas, from the West Midlands Police major crime unit, said: "This is a unique case which has involved a huge amount of work tracing the movements of Betro from her arrival in the UK, her subsequent failed attempt to shoot a man dead, and her departure from the UK.
"An incredible amount of work went into building up a really detailed picture of her activities while in the UK. While she was passing herself off as a tourist, posting pictures and videos of landmarks such as the London Eye while she was here, her real purpose was to commit murder.
"We worked really closely with partners such as the Armenian Government, (NCA), FBI, Crown Prosecution Service and Derbyshire Constabulary to bring Betro back to the UK to face justice. I’d like to thank all of them for helping to achieve justice."
Betro is set to be sentenced on August 21.
