A GRAN nicknamed ‘Queen Bee’ who headed a family drug network which flooded the UK with almost a ton of cocaine in just seven months, was jailed for 20 years today.
Crime matriarch Deborah Mason, 65, masterminded the drug operation – composed almost entirely of women – while receiving state benefits.
Deborah Mason, 65, orchestrated a family run organised crime group
A cat purchased by Deborah
Photos of the drugs after the crime group was busted wide open
Six women, a man and Deborah Mason were sentenced
She recruited her sister, three of her daughters and son, along with two of their partners and a family friend, to transport the cocaine across the country.
Seven of Mason’s crime clan – including four of her children – were jailed for a total of 84-and-a-half years at London’s Woolwich crown court.
The court heard how ‘Ma Coke’ Mason trafficked a ton of cocaine with a street value of around £80 million between April and November 2023.
Mason – Britain’s equivalent to Netflix Miami drug baron granny Griselda Blanco – funded an extravagant lifestyle from her cocaine dealing.
She bought an expensive Bengal cat and a £400 Gucci collar and lead for the pet, which had its name ‘Ghost’ engraved on a 9-cwt gold name tag.
Mason, of Tufnell Park, North London, made trips to Dubai and Bahrain and planned cosmetic surgery in Turkey, the court heard.
The drug dealing granny was known as ‘Queen Bee’ and paid her loved ones and their partners more than £1,000 a day for working for her.
The court heard how Mason’s sister, daughters and son would go on ‘family days out’ with young children in tow delivering large packages of cocaine.
Mason’s family couriers delivered cocaine to dealers in Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff as well as Rotherham and South London.
The female-dominated group enjoyed exotic holidays and bought luxury goods, expensive garden furniture and designer clothes.
Met detectives launched an investigation in April 2023 following a tip-off and shadowed Mason as she drive to Harwich at 4.30am to collect a large consignment of cocaine before returning to London.
The group used encrypted messaging site Signal to communicate before their arrests in May 2024.
Prosecutor Charlotte Hole told the court how the conspiracy involved a nationwide supply of around a metric tonne of cocaine.
Ms Hole said the value of the cocaine was between £20-25 million wholesale and “capable of achieving a street value of up to £80 million.”
She went on: “When it comes to specific roles it is clear that everyone involved had an expectation of a significant financial advantage.
“There was at least £1,000 per trip and being paid and it was the motivating factor for this conspiracy.
“They were all involved, and in our submission had been aware of the scale of the operation.
“We do say that every individual played at least a significant role, with the exception of Deborah Mason who fell into a leading role.”
The prosecutor said Deborah Mason was involved in the ‘directing or organising of buying and selling cocaine on a commercial scale.”
Ms Hole revealed how greedy Mason was claiming dole at the same time.
“She was in receipt of in excess of £50,000 in benefits income – legitimate income – during the conspiracy,” said Ms Hole..
The prosecutor referred to Mason’s “lavish spending on designer goods and her express intention to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery procedures..”
She also outlined Mason’s “list of holiday destinations and her actual travel to Dubai and Bahrain during the conspiracy period.”
Met Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, said: “This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for them.
“The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles.
“They were unaware we were coming for them and this sentencing should act as a deterrent to those who think about committing this type of crime.’’
Mason was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs with daughters Roseanne Mason, 29, Lillie Bright, 26, and Demi Bright, 30, following an 11-week trial.
Lillie Bright’s partner Chloe Hodgkin, 23, was also found guilty of the same offence along with one of Demi Bright’s friends, Anita Slaughter, 44.
Mason’s sister Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, son Reggie Bright, 24, and his partner Demi Kendall, of Staplehurst, Kent, pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Reggie Bright and partner Kendall also admitted a separate offence of possession with Intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property.
It followed seizures of cocaine and more than £15,000 cash during a search of their home address.
Reggie was jailed for 15 years and partner Demi Kendall got 13 and a half years.
Roseanne and Demi(Bright) got 11 years each and Lillie was jailed for 13 years.
Mason’s sister Tina Golding got 10 years while Anita Slaughter received 13 years.
Hodgkin will be sentenced at a later date.
Deborah’s daughter Demi Bright
Deborah’s other daughter Roseanne Mason
Not known, clear with picture deskShe bought a rare Bengal cat and bought a £400 Gucci collar and lead for the pet[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
