Members of a criminal gang who smuggled almost £30m in cash from the UK to Dubai through airports including Manchester and Birmingham have been jailed.
Passing sentence at Bolton Crown Court, Judge Abigail Hudson described the offenders as a “shallow group of individuals” who “revelled in spending obscene amounts of money”.
The judge said those involved were “fully aware and wholly disinterested” that the cash they were transporting came from serious criminal activity, often drug dealing.
The group used Emirates flights departing from Manchester, Birmingham and Brussels airports to transport criminal cash to the United Arab Emirates between 2017 and 2019.
Sophie Logan, 31, formerly from Derby and living in Dubai at the time of the conspiracy, was jailed for seven years and six months.
The court heard Logan worked closely with the alleged organiser, helping arrange accommodation, meals and nights out for couriers who smuggled the money. Judge Hudson described her trial evidence as “entirely dishonest and evasive”.
Heather Jeffrey, 58, from Bradford, was jailed for six years and six months, while Devanyl Graham, 27, from Dewsbury, received a six-year sentence.
Lamara Noel, 34, from Bradford, was jailed for five years and Ben Royle, 32, formerly of Wilmslow and now living in London, was sentenced to four years and three months.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Jobe, 33, from Manchester, was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and made subject to a three-month curfew.
Judge Hudson said Jobe had a limited understanding of the scale of the operation.