Deborah Mason, nicknamed "Queen Bee" and "Gangster Granny," was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday, 18/7, for leading a drug trafficking operation that moved over a ton of drugs in just 7 months, from April to November 2023.
The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between GBP 23 million and GBP 35 million and a street value of GBP 80 million.
Seven other members of the gang, including Mason's sister, daughters, and sons-in-law, were also sentenced.
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Deborah Mason used the profits from drug trafficking to buy luxury goods and plan cosmetic surgery in Turkey. Photo: Metropolitan Police |
Deborah Mason used the profits from drug trafficking to buy luxury goods and plan cosmetic surgery in Turkey. Photo: Metropolitan Police
Mason, identified as the mastermind who directly contacted a supplier, received a 20-year sentence. Her accomplices received sentences ranging from 10 to 13 years and 6 months.
"You recruited members of your own family. As a mother, you should have set an example for your children and not corrupted them," the judge told Mason during sentencing. The judge also criticized her for exploiting her pregnant daughters to facilitate the trafficking operation.
Prosecutors argued that everyone involved expected substantial financial gain, at least GBP 1,000 per shipment, which was a primary motivator for the conspiracy. "All of them were aware of the scale of this operation," the prosecution stated.
Mason reportedly recruited a network of at least 10 family members. She did not use pressure or coercion to lure her family into the gang, the prosecutor said, adding that they were all motivated by financial gain.
Mason used the illicit profits to purchase luxury goods, travel to Dubai, and plan cosmetic surgery. When she was away, her 29-year-old daughter, Roseanne, took over the leadership role.
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Roseanne took over the family gang's operations when her mother was away. Photo: Metropolitan Police |
Roseanne took over the family gang's operations when her mother was away. Photo: Metropolitan Police
Roseanne was accused of overseeing seven deliveries of approximately 166 kg of cocaine, collecting cash for her mother, and arranging for other family members to deliver the goods. She received an 11-year sentence.
Mason's 66-year-old sister, Tina, was accused of making four trips and delivering at least 75 kg of cocaine, earning at least GBP 10,000. She received a 10-year sentence. Some other pregnant members of the family will be sentenced after giving birth.
"This is not a normal family. Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to form a highly profitable criminal organization, ultimately landing them all in jail," the prosecutor said.
Acting on intelligence, the Metropolitan Police used investigative techniques, including extensive call data records and conventional surveillance, to track the movements of Mason and her associates. Most of the gang members were arrested in May 2024.
The lead officer on the investigation stated that this was a sophisticated operation that generated significant profits for those involved, leading to violence, antisocial behavior, and suffering within the community.
Hai Thu (The Guardian, People)
