Gangster Granny Jailed For Running Cocaine Operation In UK

A 65-year-old grandmother, labeled by police as a “gangster granny,” who masterminded a family-led organized crime syndicate, has been sentenced for trafficking drugs with a street value of £80m throughout the UK.

Deborah Mason, known by the alias “Queen Bee,” along with seven other gang members, received sentences at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday, July 18, for their roles in distributing nearly a tonne of cocaine over a seven-month period.

Couriers collected imported cocaine packages and transported them across London, as well as to Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff, from April to November 2023, according to court proceedings.

The drugs were valued at an estimated wholesale range of £23m to £35m, with a street value reaching £80m.

The ringleader used her profits to purchase designer items and planned a trip to Turkey for cosmetic surgery, while young mothers in the gang brought their young children along to drug pick-ups.

Mason, who instructed other gang members and communicated with an upstream supplier named Bugsy, was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Judge Shorrock addressed Mason, stating: “You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager.

“You recruited members of your own family – as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.”

The judge observed that several women involved had young children, noting their participation in the drug network “makes it easier for unscrupulous” dealers to recruit mothers.

Prosecutor Charlotte Hole earlier stated: “Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least £1,000 per trip, and it is one of the most significant parts of the motivation of the conspiracy.

“They all had an awareness of the scale of the operation.”

Hole further explained: “She [Mason] recruited both her family members – her sister and her children – as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.”

Mason did not rely on pressure or coercion to involve her family in the gang, as they were “motivated by financial benefit.”

The court also learned she received over £50,000 annually in benefit income during the conspiracy, while leading the operation and spending extravagantly on luxuries.

While Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roseanne Mason, who completed seven trips delivering approximately 166kg of cocaine, took over the leadership role, the court was told.

The prosecution noted that Roseanne Mason collected cash for her mother and “provided childcare so that others could work.”

George Payne, defending Deborah Mason, argued that his client was not the primary director of the gang’s activities.

In his mitigation, he stated: “It is precisely because she does not look like someone who is involved in drug dealing that she was chosen to be part of the plot.”

He added: “I submit that all of these individuals are expendable, without experience and without a lot of knowledge.”

Demi Bright made one trip in August 2023, transporting 60kg of cocaine, taking her two children on the two-day journey, which included an overnight hotel stay.

Lillie Bright participated in 20 trips, handling 195kg of cocaine. Her partner, Chloe Hodgkin, 23, of Abbots Walk, Wye, Kent, is pregnant and awaiting sentencing at a later date.

Reggie Bright completed 12 trips, delivering at least 90kg of cocaine, and sometimes collected payments for the group. He often traveled with his partner, Demi Kendall, 31, telling her “not to get the hump because we need the money,” the court heard.

Tina Golding undertook four trips, delivering at least 75kg of cocaine and earning at least £10,000 in payments.

Anita Slaughter participated in one trip in October 2023, involving 55kg of cocaine across four drops.

Roseanne Mason, 29, of Canonbury, north London, and Demi Bright, 30, of Ashford, Kent, were each sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Lillie Bright, 26, of Ashford, Kent, received a 13-year sentence, while Demi Kendall, 31, of Staplehurst, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.

Reggie Bright, 24, of Staplehurst, Kent, was given a 15-year sentence, and Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, was jailed for 10 years.

Slaughter, 44, of Ashford, Kent, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Using intelligence, Metropolitan Police officers employed investigative methods, including extensive call data analysis and traditional surveillance, to monitor Deborah Mason and her couriers’ movements. Most gang members were arrested in May 2024.

DC Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said: “This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved.

“Following months of work by the Met police to relentlessly pursue these perpetrators, we were able to arrest and eventually convict them, preventing more drugs flooding streets across the UK which leads to violence, antisocial behaviour and misery for communities.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli