Latest news with #DeborahMason
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Meet 65-year-old ‘Gangster Granny': UK's drug cartel mastermind Deborah Mason, jailed for 20 years over £80m Cocaine trade
Deborah Mason(left), Roseanne Mason(right) (Source: Metropolitan police) A 65-year-old grandmother masterminded one of UK's most sophisticated drug trafficking operations, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Deborah Mason, infamously nicknamed the 'Queen Bee' and 'Gangster Granny,' ran a sprawling family-led drugs cartel that trafficked more than a ton of cocaine worth up to £80 million across the country. Mason and seven of her relatives, including her sister and children, operated the high-level narcotics ring over a seven-month period from April to November 2023, reported The Guardian . On Friday, she was sentenced in a London courtroom alongside other key members of the syndicate. The court heard that Mason's gang used a network of couriers to transport massive quantities of imported cocaine. The drugs were distributed from London to several major cities including Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff. The cartel's value of cocaine ranged between £23 million and £35 million, while its street value was estimated at a whopping £80 million. Despite the scale of the operation, prosecutors noted that Mason's relatives were not coerced into joining the syndicate, but were instead "motivated by financial benefit." Mason's 29-year-old daughter, Roseanne Mason, played a crucial role in the cartel's logistics. She was responsible for managing collections of the drug shipments. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In a show of how deeply involved the family was, Roseanne even babysat the children of other couriers so they could continue working uninterrupted. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison for her part in the operation. Other members of the gang received lengthy prison terms as well, with sentences ranging from 13 to 15 years based on their individual roles in the criminal enterprise. The Metropolitan Police launched a thorough investigation into the drug ring, employing a range of surveillance tactics, including analysis of extensive call data and physical tracking of suspects. Acting on critical intelligence, most of the gang members were apprehended in May 2024.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Gangster granny' who oversaw £80m drugs operation foiled by police
A "gangster granny" crime gang boss has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of £80 million across the UK. Deborah Mason, 65, of Crayford Road, Tufnell Park, dubbed 'Queen Bee', and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced to a total of 106 and a half years at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday (18 July) for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months. The group used the encrypted messaging site Signal to communicate. Officers found messages showing Mason was living an extravagant lifestyle with her profits, buying a £400 Gucci collar and lead for her cat. Mason, dubbed 'gangster granny' by the Metropolitan Police, directed other members of the gang and was in contact with an upstream supplier called Bugsy. She was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She took part in 20 trips, delivering 356kg of cocaine, and also made trips to deliver and collect cash.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
UK's ‘Queen Bee' stung with jail term as US$107 million cocaine empire crumbles
'Gangster granny', the 65-year-old leader of a UK crime family, and seven of her associates were sentenced to a combined 106 years in prison for dealing more than US$100 million worth of cocaine across the country, officials announced on Friday. Deborah Mason, who is also known as 'Queen Bee' and 'Gangsta Deb', recruited her sister, her four children and others close to her family to work as couriers and distribute her product across London as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, the Independent reported. Over a span of about seven months in 2023, Mason's drug network peddled nearly a tonne of cocaine with a street value of nearly US$107 million. 'This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved,' said Metropolitan Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation. Mason used the profits to fund her lavish lifestyle, which included extravagant holidays and a collection of luxury high-end designer goods. According to the BBC, she at one point bought a Gucci collar and leash worth more than US$500, and a nine-carat gold engraved name tag for her Bengal cat, Ghost. Mason in April was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. A judge on Friday sentenced her to 20 years in prison.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Gangster Granny' sentenced to prison for operating $100 million drug ring
'Gangster Granny,' the 65-year-old leader of a U.K. crime family, and seven of her associates were sentenced to a combined 106 years in prison for dealing more than $100 million worth of cocaine across the country, officials announced Friday. Deborah Mason, who's also known as 'Queen Bee' and 'Gangsta Deb,' recruited her sister, her four children and others close to her family to work as couriers and distribute her product across London as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, the Independent reported. Over a span about seven months in 2023, Mason's drug network peddled nearly a ton of cocaine with a street value of nearly $107 million. 'This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved,' said Metropolitan Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation. Mason used the profits to fund her lavish lifestyle, which included extravagant vacations and a collection of luxury high-end designer goods. According to the BBC, she at one point purchased a Gucci collar and leash worth more than $500, and a nine-carat gold engraved name tag for her Bengal cat, Ghost. Mason in April was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. A judge on Friday sentenced her to 20 years in prison. 'You recruited members of your own family — as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them,' Judge Philip Shorrock said, per BBC News. Mason's associates, including her sister, three daughters and son, were meanwhile ordered to spend between 10 and 15 years behind bars.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Gangster Granny' sentenced to prison for operating $100 million drug ring
'Gangster Granny,' the 65-year-old leader of a U.K. crime family, and seven of her associates were sentenced to a combined 106 years in prison for dealing more than $100 million worth of cocaine across the country, officials announced Friday. Deborah Mason, who's also known as 'Queen Bee' and 'Gangsta Deb,' recruited her sister, her four children and others close to her family to work as couriers and distribute her product across London as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, the Independent reported. Over a span about seven months in 2023, Mason's drug network peddled nearly a ton of cocaine with a street value of nearly $107 million. 'This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved,' said Metropolitan Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation. Mason used the profits to fund her lavish lifestyle, which included extravagant vacations and a collection of luxury high-end designer goods. According to the BBC, she at one point purchased a Gucci collar and leash worth more than $500, and a nine-carat gold engraved name tag for her Bengal cat, Ghost. Mason in April was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. A judge on Friday sentenced her to 20 years in prison. 'You recruited members of your own family — as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them,' Judge Philip Shorrock said, per BBC News. Mason's associates, including her sister, three daughters and son, were meanwhile ordered to spend between 10 and 15 years behind bars.
