Love Island star unmasked as 'business brain' behind drug cartel
"The devil works hard, but Barbie works harder"
Magdalena Sadlo
(Image: NWROCU )
A Love Island star has been unmasked as the "brains" behind a drugs cartel. Magdalena Sadlo, who starred in the Polish version of Love Island in 2021, was nicknamed "Barbie" and played a pivotal role in the cartel, which stretched across the north of England.
Her sentencing hearing brought the final stages of a major probe into an extensive importation and distribution network to an end, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The 30-year-old played an important role in the international arm of the conspiracy, with the defendant acting as a key link between UK-based crime groups and overseas drug cartels. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
She used her management skills to prepare criminal accounts for crime bosses based in the Middle East.
In one message recovered by police, she said: "The devil works hard, but Barbie works harder."
Cartel members based in Dubai had masterminded a conspiracy to ship huge amounts of cocaine into the UK. Sadlo was brought in to help.
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Tim Evans, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court that the gang engaged in multi-faceted illegal activity. Detectives from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit detained Sadlo as she flew into the UK on February 13, 2024.
Travelling first class with Emirates from Dubai, she was carrying a £130,000 rose gold Patek Phillipe watch, a £30,000 Rolex timepiece with Cartier bracelets and rings, bought with proceeds of crime, and a CV boasting her business acumen and qualifications.
As a courier for the gang, Sadlo repeatedly collected large quantities of cocaine as it was imported into the port of Harwich. A police drug expert concluded she could have trafficked almost 300kg of cocaine in seven trips.
Over several months, she transported it around England in BMWs during "whistle-stop" tours. Cocaine was initially stored in safe houses and then moved around the country by a team of drivers for supply to addicts. Sadlo was a trusted financial director, documenting many millions of pounds in drug transactions on spreadsheets.
Mr Evans said: "She not only manages the profits, costs and expenses, but also manages the stock levels, the profit margins involved...no organised crime group at this level could operate or function without Magdalena Sadlo, or an equivalent, performing this role."
Sadlo was "enthusiastically, relentlessly efficient in her accounting", the court heard, scolding major players when they did not meet her high standards. Officers also seized mobile phones and laptops with spreadsheets which showed ketamine and cannabis was also being supplied.
After Sadlo provided PIN details, officers also unearthed a mass of encrypted group chat messages. In these, she and other high ranking crooks discussed vast amounts of money linked to drug supply. On one phone, Sadlo made searches for "50kg cocaine June news UK" and "which countries have the death penalty for drugs".
"She clearly knew the scale and seriousness of the trade she was engaging in," said Mr Evans. Sadlo also managed encrypted communications with senior cartel members and maintained detailed spreadsheets tracking stock levels, customer payments, expenses, and profits. Messages recovered included one saying: "Having a good month, done 95895 in profit so far from orders."
Defence barrister, Peter Corrigan, said Sadlo disputed elements of the prosecution case. She had played a lesser criminal role than alleged, said Mr Corrigan, against the background of drug addiction. In a letter, Sadlo expressed remorse after falling on hard times. She was highly regarded by friends and family, the court heard.
Sadlo, of Ringwood in Bracknell, Berkshire, admitted conspiring to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine; and conspiracy to launder money. She was jailed for 14 years. Judge Nicholas Barker concluded Sadlo, as a courier, was "central" in the collection of drugs and their onward distribution. "I conclude there was gain and reward and in some way considerable to you," said Judge Barker.
"You are an intelligent woman and well understand risk and reward," he told the defendant. "I find you acted with real enthusiasm and sought to impress those at the top."
Twelve men have already been handed sentences totalling more than 100 years for their role in a plot, smashed by police under Operation Matrix. These included two men from Wigan - Gary Gittins, 43, of Woodland Avenue, Wigan, and Mark Knowles, 41, of Prestwich Street, Atherton - who were jailed in April for their roles as the controllers of safe houses.
Gitten, said police, allowed his home to be used by an organised crime group (OCG) to store and distribute approximately 175kg of cocaine, valued at £17.5m. Knowles facilitated the storage of over 77kg of cocaine, worth more than £7m, on three separate occasions.
Officers seized £28,000 worth of cannabis from Gittins' home and recovered mixing agents from Knowles' address. Images of kilo blocks of cocaine were also found on his phone. Gittins was jailed for seven years and six months. Knowles for four years and 10 months. Both admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Simon Buller, a scaffolder-turned drug-dealer from Atherton, Wigan, was jailed for 15 years and two months in September last year. He was said to have played a 'leading role' in the supply conspiracy.
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Detective Superintendent Zoe Russo from NWROCU said: "Operation Matrix has resulted in the conviction of 13 individuals and prison sentences totalling over 140 years. These convictions strike a significant blow to the supply of drugs across the North West and the UK as we continue to remove top-end controllers of international drug supply.
"Magdalena Sadlo's arrest and conviction highlight the reach and complexity of this operation. She played a key role in managing international drug supply and laundering criminal profits, and will now face the consequences of her actions behind bars."
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