Three women jailed after Gatwick cocaine smuggling
£50,000 worth of cocaine was recovered following a flight from Jamaica
Three women, who tried to smuggle around £50,000 worth of cocaine into the UK on a flight into Gatwick Airport, have been jailed.
20-year-old Catara Mattie, from Eccles in Greater Manchester, 23-year-old Shantori Daniels, and 27-year-old Shaliquah Talbot, both from Birmingham, arrived into the airport on 11th November last year.
They had all flown into the West Sussex airport on the same flight from Kingston in Jamaica.
All three gave differing stories when interview by NCA officers after just under a kilo of cocaine was seized.
Mattie admitted doing the drugs run for cash, while Talbot and Daniels both claimed to have been given the drugs by men they met in a bar or restaurant.
All three pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs.
During a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on December 9th, Daniels was sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Mattie got 3 years imprisonment.
Talbot was sentenced to 32 months in jail at the same court on Thursday (January 7th).
National Crime Agency Gatwick Branch Commander Mark McCormack said:
“These young women had their whole lives ahead of them, instead they chose to risk their immediate futures in pursuit of money, and will now have to live with the consequences.
“Their stories should be a stark reminder to those who would attempt to do the same - it simply isn’t worth the risk.
“Organised crime groups need couriers like these women to bring their illicit commodities into the UK. Working with our partners across law enforcement we are determined to do all we can to stop them and target the criminal networks involved in international drug trafficking.”