Three women who tried to smuggle £50,000 worth of cocaine into the UK through ‘internal concealments’ have been jailed.
Catara Mattie, 20, from Salford, was on the same flight from Kingston, Jamaica, as Shantori Daniels, 23, and Shaliquah Talbot, 27.
The three women arrived at Gatwick Airport on November 11, 2020, and were searched by Border Force officers.
All three women were found to have ‘internal concealments’ of cocaine, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
The total weight of the packages was just under a kilo.
The trio all gave differing stories when interviewed by NCA investigators following seizure of the drugs.
Mattie of Liverpool Road, Eccles, admitted making the drugs run for cash.
Daniels and Talbot, both from Birmingham, each 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 9, Daniels was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Mattie was jailed for three years.
Talbot was today (January 7) sentenced to 32 months in jail.
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.”
