In Biggles Forms a Syndicate, Sheikh Mital ibn Yezzin was a minor sheikh who had been entrusted by the British authorities to maintain order along a stretch of coast in the Aden Protectorate. Sheikh Mital controlled the area around Hautha, an R.A.F. emergency landing ground about 100 miles east of Aden. His encampment was further to the east, some 30 miles away.
Ginger was the first to meet Sheikh Mital. He had been captured by the Sheikh's troops and brought to the encampment. The Sheikh wanted someone to tend to Ahmed ibn Mital, the Sheikh's son and he believed that Ginger could. The sheikh's son had developed a serious infection after being bitten on the hand by a camel. Ginger successfully treated Ahmed using penicillin injections from the medical kit in his aircraft. The grateful Sheikh then offered to accompany Ginger back to Hautha to reunite with Bertie and Squadron Leader "Dizzy" Digswell who were supposed to be still there attempting to recover a treasure from some archaeological remains
As Ginger and the Sheikh were riding towards Hautha, they received news that a party of Yemeni raiders had entered the area and could pose a threat to Bertie and Digswell. As they entered the landing ground of Hautha, they met Biggles and Algy being pursued by a group of armed men. Biggles and Algy had newly arrived on the scene. They had read that Digswell's archaeological expedition might be in trouble and had flown out to help. On reaching Hautha, Biggles and Algy had an unfriendly encounter with Majoli, an Ethiopian who also wanted his hands on the treasure and who was prepared to take it by force of arms. The Sheikh's men soon put Majoli's gang to flight and forced them to retire to their yacht, with a warning of dire consequences should they return to the area. At the same time, the party of Yemeni raiders had also appeared on the plateau overlooking the landing ground. The Sheikh wanted to take a look at the archaeological finds for himself and in any case, he was responsible for driving off the raiders so he ordered his men into action.
After a brief and successful battle, the Sheikh had his men clear a rockslide and shore up the entrance to the cave where Digswell and Bertie had originally found archaeological artefacts, allowing for a closer inspection by Biggles and co.