THE ringleader of a global drug-trafficking ring was jailed yesterday for 16 years after he admitted to smuggling cocaine into Britain.
Derby Crown Court heard that Stephen Livingston, 28, had masterminded a drugs syndicate that paid “mules” up to £5,000 to swallow packets of cocaine in Jamaica before catching flights to Britain.
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Although Livingston admitted organising 15 trips to take 6.5kg of cocaine into the country, police believe that he may have been responsible for 50 such trips. The drugs carried would have had a market value of up to £5 million.
Livingston’s wife, Rachel,was given a two-year suspended sentence for her role in the conspiracy. She used her position as an education welfare officer dealing with children at Derby City Council to sign false declarations on passport applications for couriers and drafted letters of invitation for the Jamaican mules.
Two of Livingston’s couriers, Brandon Blake and Leslie Hobill, were sent to jail for 4½ years and 5½ respectively at Derby Crown Court. Shaun Chambers, who converted the cocaine into crack cocaine, was sentenced to ten years. Calbert Wilson, who picked up the couriers when they arrived in Britain, was jailed for 12 months.