Back at the cafe, Hal is apparently convinced that Hamza is legit and starts talking about money.
He prefers Hamza to accept a ‘package deal’ which would cost €15,000 (£12,500).
This involves collecting the boat near Calais, complete with engine, fuel, pump and 60 life jackets – more than Hamza said he needs, but this is a general offer and will likely be made to another smuggler who directly arranges transitions in France.
The profits for these smugglers are potentially “extraordinary”, assuming adults are charged around €2,000 (£1,660) for a single trip with dozens of people on board – according to the Global Initiative.
If a deal is struck now, Hull claims it could deliver the boat to the site, which is just 200m (655ft) off the French coastline, as soon as tomorrow.
Hull and Sahar also refer to a “new crossing point,” suggesting they’ve found a place less under the surveillance of French authorities, though they won’t reveal its location.
There is a second, cheaper option that Hamza has been promoting all along.
For around €8,000 (£6,670), Hamza can pick up the boat himself here at a warehouse in Essen and deliver it himself to northern France.
If you get caught, the smugglers tell him, we are not responsible.
The conversation turns to how Hamza will pay the gang when he decides what to do.
Hal wants the money to be paid in Turkey because “all the stuff” comes from there.
The money, he suggests, can be deposited through the Hawala system, a payment method that avoids formal banking operations and instead relies on a network of agents to deliver cash across borders.
Hamza is later sent the account name on WhatsApp.
In other messages and voice notes in Arabic, also sent after the cafe meeting, Sahar describes the brands of outboard motors. He “loves” the Mercury, he says, although “if there’s a Yamaha, I prefer the Yamaha.”
He talks about how they can “deliver and bury” the gear, meaning it can be hidden underground near the checkpoint, with Boulogne being the best option because “Kale, it’s hard.”
