London: In the early hours of an April morning in 2023, undercover officers observed a woman loading boxes into a hire car at a retail park near the port of Harwich in Essex. The Metropolitan Police had received a tip-off about the car, which had traveled from Islington that night.
According to BBC, the car proceeded towards Ipswich, where the woman handed over a heavy laundry bag to an unidentified man. Despite her unassuming appearance, she was involved in a major drug operation. Her defense barrister stated she "was undoubtedly singled out as someone who would not catch the eye". The rest of the gang received sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for the same charge.
For seven months following that morning in Harwich, the Metropolitan Police surveilled Mason and her family-run gang as they conducted cocaine and class A drug pick-ups at ports—primarily Harwich, but also Folkestone and Dover. The operation followed a consistent pattern: tightly wrapped packages of cocaine were collected, divided into supermarket bags for life, and then delivered to the next person in the chain.
Police observed the gang completing drop-offs in various locations including south London, Cardiff, Bristol, Sheffield, Rotherham, Manchester, Bradford, Southend, Leicester, and Walsall. One individual, arrested by police in Leicester shortly after a handover, was found with 10kg (22lbs) of cocaine. Other trips involved collecting their "wages," as they described it. In total, the drugs handled by the gang were worth £25m-£30m at wholesale, with a street value of up to £80m, as stated during the sentencing hearing.
The court heard that the gang used aliases to communicate with each other and their supplier—a man known only as "Bugsy"—via the encrypted messaging app, Signal. Mason enjoyed a close relationship with "Bugsy" and even vacationed with him in Dubai and Bahrain in October 2023.
Over a seven-month period, Mason carried out 20 trips transporting at least 356kg of cocaine, as well as delivering and collecting cash. Judge Philip Shorrock highlighted Mason's "leading role," describing her as "the site foreman working under a project manager." He admonished her for corrupting rather than setting an example for her children.
Prosecutor Charlotte Hole explained that although Mason did not purchase drugs herself, she was involved in directing multi-kilo transactions. "She also organized those who drove for her—staying in phone contact from the early hours to ensure they were up, and checking in on them during the day," Hole said.
Financial gain was a key motivation for Mason, who led an extravagant lifestyle funded by the drug operation, purchasing designer clothing, bags, and accessories. Among her possessions were a £390 Gucci collar and lead, and a nine-carat gold engraved name tag for her Bengal cat, Ghost. Footage showed her being arrested in her bathroom beside a designer DKNY towel. During the conspiracy, Mason also received £50,000 in benefits and expressed a desire for cosmetic procedures in Turkey.
Mason's family involvement in the conspiracy was extensive, with her three daughters, son, and two of their partners participating. They are all now serving lengthy prison sentences. A friend, Anita Slaughter, 44, has also been jailed. Reggie Bright, Mason's son, delivered at least 90kg of cocaine over 12 trips, often accompanied by his partner, Demi Kendall, or his sister Lillie Bright. The court heard that Reggie Bright and Demi Kendall also ran their own separate drugs line from their caravans in Kent.
Mason's number was saved in one of her children's phones under the name Queen Bee. Her daughters, Roseanne Mason and Lillie Bright, were also found guilty. Roseanne participated in seven identified trips, while Lillie made 20 trips with expectations of significant financial gain. Lillie involved her partner Chloe Hodgkin, who will be sentenced at a later date after giving birth.
The defense lawyers argued that those involved were "expendable" within the wider drug enterprise and that most of the children acted as "couriers." Specialist prosecutor Robert Hutchinson described the family as "no ordinary family," with Mason recruiting her relatives into a lucrative criminal enterprise.
The sentences handed out were as follows: Reggie Bright received 15 years, Demi Kendall 13-and-a-half years, Lillie Bright 13 years, Anita Slaughter 13 years, Demi Bright 11 years, Roseanne Mason 11 years, and Tina Golding 10 years. Chloe Hodgkin will be sentenced later.
Met Police's Det Con Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, described Mason's operation as "sophisticated" and "extremely profitable." He noted that the group was "selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles."