July 2025 - No Más Mulas

‘Gangster granny’ jailed for leading family gang dealing drugs worth £80m

A family-run organised crime group, orchestrated by a 65-year-old described by police as a “gangster granny”, has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of £80m across the UK.

Deborah Mason, who had the moniker “Queen Bee”, and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced at Woolwich crown court in London on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months.

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The widening chasm

Allow me to share my story about how I got involved in dangerous drugs trafficking to Hong Kong.

I come from a family of four: my mother, father, younger sister, and me. In 2010, I lost my mother to a pulmonary disease, followed by my grandmother shortly after. I began to experience heartaches, sleepless nights, anxiety, and a feeling of emptiness. I went to the doctor, describing my symptoms, and was told I might have a brain tumor. After several tests, the doctor confirmed I was physically healthy but emotionally under extreme stress. I am still on medication for depression.

Determined to heal, I challenged myself to complete my college education while raising two children alone and working full-time. I developed an overwhelming urge to prove something to myself. Despite every reason to quit—lack of sleep, money, and resources—I earned my college degree. My plans were to graduate and find a good job, but life didn’t go as I hoped.

I felt sad yet empowered, knowing I had the fortitude to press on, especially for my daughter. I remember reading her congratulatory card: “Someday I hope to make you as proud of me as I am proud of you.” I was devastated, knowing my daughter needed a substantial amount of money to join high school.

“Someday I hope to make you as proud of me as I am proud of you.”

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A mother’s bitter tears

I am 44 years old and I have two children. I come from Benin.

I worked on a project for the Ministry of Health in my country as an Executive Assistant. I was arrested at Hong Kong airport on the morning of December 9, 2023 for drug trafficking. Here is my story:

I did not have an easy childhood. I come from a numerous family, with several children from different fathers. We are ten children and I am the eighth child. We grew up in very precarious conditions, our mother, having experienced several divorces, required us to help her every Saturday and Sunday, either by going to the fields to gather firewood or by selling small crops to bring money home for our breakfast and other needs until we finished primary school.

Once we entered secondary school, our mother could no longer support our educational expenses. Many of my older siblings had already dropped out of school. Most of my older sisters got married, while my older brothers were either in apprenticeships or had already finished their education. I loved studying, so if I were to continue secondary school, it would have to be by my own means.

I started a small business selling bottled water and sometimes boiled peanuts during holidays and weekends. This business, which usually lasted 3 to 4 months during school holidays, allowed me to save enough money for my tuition, supplies, and a little extra for breakfast.

I managed to get by until my first year of high school, when I met a man whom I considered to be well-off. After a while, this man proposed marriage. Saying no to this proposal would imply that I did not care for my younger sister and brother, who were almost neglected by our mother due to her financial struggles. Agreeing to this proposal meant marrying an older man, almost like a father figure, and also someone who was often away on business. My mother pressured me into saying yes.

Continue reading A mother’s bitter tears