A 65-year-old grandmother who led a multi-million-pound drug operation with her family across the UK has been jailed for 20 years. Deborah Mason, known to her children as “Queen Bee” and to police as “Gangsta Debbs,” used her own relatives to move nearly a ton of cocaine valued at up to £80 million on the streets.
Mason, who lived in Islington, ran the cocaine network alongside her children, their partners, her sister, and a close friend. The group transported massive drug consignments across cities including London, Manchester, Leicester, Cardiff, and Sheffield.
She and seven others were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday. Her four children and two of their partners received between 10 and 15 years in prison for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Police tracked Mason for seven months after surveillance footage showed her loading boxes into a rental car near the Harwich port in April 2023. Officers followed her to Ipswich, where she handed over a laundry bag to a man. At the time, she blended in so well that her defense admitted she was “undoubtedly singled out as someone who would not catch the eye.”
From then, investigators uncovered a widespread trafficking network. The gang collected cocaine at ports like Harwich, Dover, and Folkestone, divided the packages, and handed them off across the UK. One man was caught with 10 kilograms of cocaine after a delivery in Leicester.
Prosecutors said the gang moved at least 356 kilograms of cocaine over 20 separate trips, with the wholesale value estimated at £25 million and a potential street value exceeding £80 million.
Deborah Mason did not buy the drugs herself but coordinated operations, ensured drivers stayed on schedule, and stayed in constant contact throughout deliveries. She also acted as the link to the supplier, a man referred to only as “Bugsy,” with whom she vacationed in Dubai and Bahrain in October 2023.
Judge Philip Shorrock called Mason the “site foreman” of the operation. “As a mother, you should have been setting an example to your children, not corrupting them,” he said during sentencing.
Prosecutors said Mason used the profits to finance a lavish lifestyle that included designer accessories, luxury trips, and expensive goods for her Bengal cat, Ghost—including a £390 Gucci collar and a gold-engraved tag.
While directing a large-scale trafficking ring, Mason also received £50,000 in government benefits. She traveled frequently with family, using FaceTime to continue managing operations during holidays to Cornwall, Malta, Prague, Poland, and Dubai.
Police found no evidence that any family members had been coerced into the conspiracy. “Each acted willingly,” prosecutors stated. Her son, Reggie Bright, delivered 90kg of cocaine in 12 trips. Her daughters Lillie, Roseanne, and Demi Bright played varying roles in deliveries, with Lillie making 20 trips and involving her partner, Chloe Hodgkin, who is due to be sentenced after giving birth.
Reggie and his partner, Demi Kendall, were also running a separate drug supply line out of caravans in Kent while under suspended sentence orders for previous offenses.
The gang used encrypted apps like Signal to avoid detection, communicating with aliases like “Frank” and “Bugsy.” Mason’s eldest daughter saved her mother’s number in her phone as “Queen Bee.”
Investigators recovered evidence of Mason’s spending, including luxury trainers, a Bugatti kettle, and high-end decor. Arrest footage showed her being detained inside her home beside designer towels.
“This was no ordinary family,” said prosecutor Robert Hutchinson. “Instead of offering support, Deborah Mason involved her relatives in a high-profit criminal scheme that landed them all behind bars.”
The sentences handed down include:
- 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
Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the case, said the operation was “highly organized” and driven by greed. “They were drawn into crime by the promise of wealth,” he said, “and sacrificed everything for money.”
The investigation and sentencing mark one of the largest family-led drug busts in recent UK history.
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