A nurse feeling homesick sought distraction on Tinder but got involved with a notorious crime gang in the UK. Originally from Bulgaria, Stanislava Kukusheva, 36, matched with ‘Hamza’ in 2023. Unbeknownst to her, ‘Hamza’ was actually Ali Danish Syed, a 29-year-old suspected hitman. Shortly after a fatal shooting at a Turkish club in London, Syed visited Kukusheva, leaving a murder weapon before fleeing the country.
Prosecutors suspect Syed, linked to the Tottenham Turks gang, was hired to silence a man who held crucial information about a previous murder. Kukusheva, unaware of the weapon’s presence, was later found with DNA traces on the gun and bags connected to it. Despite denying involvement, evidence suggested she had knowledge of the crime through suspicious online searches soon after Syed’s visit.
After a trial at the Old Bailey, Kukusheva was acquitted of certain charges but convicted of firearm possession, receiving a five-year prison sentence. Syed, who remains at large, is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.