A 65-year-old grandmother, Deborah Mason, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for masterminding an extensive drug trafficking operation that spanned across the UK and involved nearly every member of her family.

Known to her relatives as “Gangsta Debbs” or “Queen Bee,” Mason led a criminal enterprise that trafficked almost a tonne of cocaine with a potential street value of £80 million. The operation stretched from London to cities including Cardiff, Sheffield, Manchester, and Leicester.

The case, tried at Woolwich Crown Court, revealed that Mason enlisted her three daughters, her son, two of their partners, her sister, and even a close friend to carry out deliveries and collections of Class A drugs. The gang used encrypted messaging apps like Signal and aliases to stay under the radar, conducting at least 20 major trips over a seven-month period.

Caught by Surveillance

In April 2023, undercover officers observed Mason transferring heavy boxes into a rental car near Harwich port. Surveillance eventually tracked the car to Ipswich, where a handoff of a large laundry bag took place. Investigators later confirmed it was filled with drugs.

Over the following months, police uncovered an elaborate system: tightly wrapped cocaine parcels were transported in everyday shopping bags, and then passed through a network of couriers—many of them family members—who delivered them across the country.

One courier was arrested in Leicester with 10kg of cocaine; other trips involved collecting cash, often described by the gang as their “wages.”

Lavish Lifestyle, Paid by Crime

Despite her role as a matriarch, Mason enjoyed a life of extravagance funded by drug money. She splurged on designer goods, including a £390 Gucci collar for her Bengal cat “Ghost,” gold accessories, and a £192 Bugatti kettle. While running the drug ring, she also collected £50,000 in state benefits.

Prosecutors revealed she traveled frequently, booking holidays to Dubai, Bahrain, Malta, Prague, and Cornwall—sometimes using these trips to remotely coordinate drug drops via FaceTime.

Judge Philip Shorrock, delivering the sentence, said Mason played a “leading role” and had corrupted her children instead of guiding them. “You were the site foreman working under a project manager,” he added.

A Family Affair Turned Criminal Operation

Mason’s children and their partners were each given sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years. Her son, Reggie Bright, made at least 12 trips delivering over 90kg of cocaine. His partner, Demi Kendall, and his sister Lillie Bright often accompanied him. Lillie’s partner, Chloe Hodgkin, is due to be sentenced later.

Prosecutors made it clear that none of the family members were forced into the operation. “They weren’t pressured—they participated for financial gain,” said prosecutor Charlotte Hole.

Specialist prosecutor Robert Hutchinson described the family as anything but ordinary: “Instead of offering care and support, Mason used her influence to build a high-profit criminal empire that ultimately landed her entire family behind bars.”