TO her friends and neighbours, Farzana Kauser looked every inch the doting mum.
Working in a care home, she spent years bringing up her five children alone.
UnpixsFarzana Kauser recruited her four sons, daughter and daughter-in-law to smuggle cocaine into UK from Mexico[/caption]
NCAFriend, Khaled Abdulkawi, jailed 10 years, 9 months[/caption]
Residents in the neat cul-de-sac where she lived in a modest £180,000 house in Bradford described her as quiet and polite.
But behind closed doors she was a crime boss who recruited her four sons, daughter and daughter-in-law to smuggle high-quality cocaine into Britain from Mexico.
Her youngest son was only 17 when Kauser persuaded him to take part in the plot, which was busted when the gang were caught at Birmingham airport with cocaine with a street value of £14.4million.
In July, Kauser, 54, was jailed for 13 years and four months.
She was working with a shadowy “uncle” in Pakistan to mastermind the smuggling operation.
Her kids took short trips to Amsterdam or Dublin without luggage and timed their return to Birmingham with incoming flights from Mexico, which were carrying the drugs.
She seemed like a really good mother. She was single for many years and did her best to earn and bring her kids up right
Neighbour
After landing, they headed to the baggage carousel to pick up suitcases full of cocaine that had been loaded on to UK-bound flights by corrupt handlers in the Mexican city of Cancun.
The National Crime Agency — Britain’s version of the FBI — says the family had got away with the ruse at least four times before being nabbed last November.
Neighbours were left stunned by Kauser’s arrest.
One said: “She worked in a care home and seemed like a really good mother.
“She was single for many years before she met her current partner and did her best to earn and bring her kids up right.
“The only trouble there’s ever been is from an ex who wouldn’t leave her alone. I think he is on drugs.
‘Hard times’
“He would come around and shout and scream at her. I had an argument with him once and he threw a chair at my car.”
Another, who asked not to be named, said: “We couldn’t believe it when she was arrested. She seemed like such an ordinary mum.”
A friend told The Sun how Kauser ruled the roost in the family home. She said: “She was all nicey-nicey outside the house but she was absolutely formidable inside.
“What Farzana said went. She loved to have her kids around her, even as adults.
“She was a really clever woman and had some hard times when the kids were small and she didn’t have much cash.
NCASon, Junaid Shaffaq, jailed 10 years, 9 months[/caption]
NCADaughter-in-law, Sarah Hussain, sentenced 2 years, suspended[/caption]
“I never thought she’d go to these lengths for money. I don’t even know what she spent it on. It’s not like they lived a fancy lifestyle or went on posh holidays.
“They were always such a close-knit family and she could be quite closed about the ins and outs of their day-to-day lives. I guess we all know why now.”
Rick Mackenzie, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “To her friends and people who thought they knew her, Farzana Kauser was a thoughtful, loving mum who seemed very normal.
“She was very well practised in her life as a high-end cocaine trafficker and she took great pains to delete any trail of evidence.
“She led this crime group with dedication and determination, often instructing her children on how to smuggle the drugs effectively and on what techniques to employ.
She was all nicey-nicey outside the house but she was absolutely formidable inside
A friend
“She pushed her children into huge danger and has allowed their futures to be effectively destroyed.”
Birmingham Crown Court heard how the family couriered the cocaine into Birmingham airport between August and November 2024.
Sons Umair Mohammed, 22, Junaid Shaffaq, 33, and Mohammed Aamir Shaffaq, 28, who all lived in the family home, admitted smuggling class A drugs and were jailed for a total of 27 years and seven months.
NCADaughter, Safa Noor, jailed 7 years, 2 months[/caption]
NCASon, Umair Mohammed, jailed 8 years, 1 month[/caption]
Daughter Safa Noor, 20, admitted the same charge and was given seven years and two months.
Daughter-in-law Sarah Hussain, 28, wife of Mohammed, admitted taking part in activities of an organised crime group and was given a two-year sentence suspended for two years.
Kauser’s youngest son, Hamza Shaffaq, now 18, also admitted taking part in activities of an organised crime group and is due to be sentenced next month.
A fifth man, Khaled Abdulkawi, 27, who was not related to the family, admitted smuggling drugs after taking coke from the Kausers to pass on to a dealer.
He was given ten years and nine months.
While female mobsters are still relatively rare in Britain, they are on the rise globally.
All over the world, experts are tracking the rise of women who run ruthless drug rackets.
‘Foolproof method’
One such example is Mexican crime boss La China — real name Melissa Margarita Calderon Ojeda.
She was responsible for the deaths of more than 150 people over a decade before she was arrested, aged 31, in 2015.
What makes this case particularly concerning is the family nature of the conspiracy, with a mother recruiting her own children to participate in serious organised crime
Sarah Ingram, head of the Crown Prosecution Service
In March this year, Polish gangster Magdalena Kralka, 30, was jailed for three and a half years for drug trafficking and money laundering.
She spent six years on the run after her gang leader boyfriend was shot dead by cops.
Sarah Ingram, head of the Crown Prosecution Service serious economic and organised crime unit, described Kauser’s operation as “sophisticated and well-planned”.
She said: “What makes this case particularly concerning is the family nature of the conspiracy, with a mother recruiting her own children to participate in serious organised crime.
“The defendants thought they had devised a foolproof method to import drugs.
“But thanks to the vigilance and thorough investigation by the National Crime Agency and our prosecution, their criminal enterprise was brought to an end.
“By taking this organised crime group out of action, large amounts of drugs have been removed from circulation and can no longer reach our streets.
“This case demonstrates the commitment of the Crown Prosecution Service and law enforcement partners to disrupting drug supply chains and bringing those involved in serious organised crime to justice.”
Additional reporting Alun Palmer
NCASon, Mohammed Aamir, jailed 8 years, 9 months[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
