Deborah Mason, a 65-year-old grandmother nicknamed the “Queen Bee” by police, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a family-run drug trafficking gang responsible for supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine across the UK. The group’s cocaine shipments, moving over seven months in 2023, had a street value estimated at £80 million.
Mason and seven others were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court, London, on July 18 for their involvement in the vast operation. The gang used couriers to transport packages of imported cocaine across multiple cities including London, Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff between April and November 2023.
Despite her age, Mason directed the criminal enterprise with ruthless efficiency, using profits to buy designer goods and planning cosmetic surgery in Turkey. Young mothers involved in the operation often brought their children along during drug pick-ups.
Found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, Mason was described by Judge Shorrock as the “site foreman” in the gang, managing operations under a higher-level supplier known as Bugsy. The judge condemned her for involving family members in the crime, saying: “As a mother, you should have set an example rather than corrupting your own children.”
Mason recruited relatives including her sister and children, as well as her children’s partners and friends, building a network of at least 10 people motivated by financial gain. Prosecutors revealed the gang members earned at least £1,000 per trip and were fully aware of the scale of the criminal enterprise.
During the conspiracy, Mason was also receiving over £50,000 annually in benefit payments while spending lavishly on luxury items. When Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roseanne Mason took over managing the operation, making seven trips delivering around 166kg of cocaine and handling cash collection and childcare to support the gang’s activities.
Other key members of the gang included Demi Bright, who made a single 60kg trip with her two children; Lillie Bright, involved in 20 trips totaling 195kg; and Reggie Bright, who completed 12 trips delivering at least 90kg and collected wages for the group. Several of the couriers had young children with them during drug runs, a fact noted by the court as making it easier for traffickers to recruit mothers.
Sentences for other gang members ranged from 10 to 15 years. Roseanne Mason and Demi Bright received 11 years each; Lillie Bright was sentenced to 13 years; Demi Kendall got 13 years and six months; Reggie Bright received 15 years; Tina Golding was jailed for 10 years; and Anita Slaughter was sentenced to 13 years.
The Metropolitan Police’s investigation, led by DC Jack Kraushaar, relied on call data analysis and surveillance. Most gang members were arrested in May 2024.
“This was a sophisticated and highly profitable operation,” Kraushaar said. “Our work has prevented large quantities of harmful drugs from flooding UK streets, protecting communities from violence and social harm.”
The cocaine’s wholesale value was estimated between £23 million and £35 million, with a street value of around £80 million
