A 65-year-old grandmother who masterminded a multimillion-pound cocaine network with the help of her children and close relatives has been jailed for 20 years. minotaur fight store | minotaurfightstore

Deborah Mason – known within her family as “Gangsta Debbs” or “Queen Bee” – oversaw the delivery of nearly a tonne of cocaine across the UK. Operating mainly out of ports in Harwich, Folkestone, and Dover, her family-run operation distributed drugs to cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield, and Bristol.

At Woolwich Crown Court, Mason was sentenced on Friday for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Her four children, sister, and friends were also jailed, receiving terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.

A carefully organised network

Detectives observed Mason and her family for seven months, documenting repeated trips where drugs were collected in tightly wrapped packages, stashed in supermarket “bags for life,” and handed off to contacts across the country.

One seizure in Leicester uncovered 10kg of cocaine, while the wider investigation linked the gang to wholesale quantities worth £25–30m, with a potential street value of up to £80m.

Prosecutors said Mason held a central role, likening her to a “site foreman” coordinating the movements of her couriers. She organised transport runs, checked on drivers from early morning until night, and maintained contact with her supplier – a man known as “Bugsy.” She even holidayed with him in Dubai and Bahrain during the height of the conspiracy.

Lavish lifestyle

The operation funded a life of extravagance. Mason splurged on luxury holidays, designer clothing, and even bought her Bengal cat, Ghost, a £390 Gucci collar and lead along with a gold name tag. She also purchased a £192 Bugatti kettle and continued to claim £50,000 in benefits while directing the drug trade.

Police footage of her arrest showed officers handcuffing her inside her bathroom, beside a DKNY towel.

Family business

This was no ordinary crime ring – it was a family affair. Mason’s son, daughters, their partners, and a family friend all played roles in the conspiracy.

Her son, Reggie Bright, delivered at least 90kg of cocaine, often travelling with his partner Demi Kendall or sister Lillie. Both ran their own small-scale drug line in Kent on the side.

Her daughters Demi and Roseanne also played significant roles, with Demi making multiple deliveries and Roseanne linked to runs to Manchester and Bradford. Lillie Bright completed 20 trips and involved her partner, Chloe Hodgkin, who is due to be sentenced after giving birth.

Judge Philip Shorrock condemned Mason’s influence over her family, saying: “As a mother you should have been setting an example to your children, not corrupting them.”

Sentences handed down

• Deborah Mason, 65 – 20 years

• Reggie Bright, 24 – 15 years

• Demi Kendall, 31 – 13.5 years

• Lillie Bright, 26 – 13 years

• Anita Slaughter, 44 – 13 years

• Demi Bright, 30 – 11 years

• Roseanne Mason, 29 – 11 years

• Tina Golding, 66 – 10 years

• Chloe Hodgkin, 23 – sentencing pending

‘Sophisticated and profitable’

Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said Mason’s family network was “sophisticated, highly organised, and extremely profitable.”

“What we uncovered was a family who turned their bonds into a criminal enterprise, choosing drug money over honest work,” he added.

Specialist prosecutor Robert Hutchinson summed it up bluntly: “This was no ordinary family. Instead of nurturing her children, Mason recruited them into an extraordinarily profitable but destructive business. It has now put them all behind bars.”