Abigail Kavanagh, 25, of Ely, Cardiff, was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on October 22 for her role in trafficking controlled drugs on behalf of an organised crime group.
Kavanagh was arrested during an operation run by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales.
Operation Gemstone was an investigation into the import of wholesale quantities of Class A drugs, namely MDMA, more commonly known as Ecstasy.
On March 8, 2024, Border Force officers at East Midlands Airport intercepted a package sent from Austria and destined for Kavanagh’s home address. The package contained 10 kilograms of MDMA, disguised as bath salts. The drugs had a potential street value of £300,000.
Tarian officers subsequently arrested Kavanagh at her home address. A review of her mobile phone further uncovered her involvement in the supply of a Class B drug, Spice, into prisons across South Wales.
During Kavanagh’s sentencing at Newport Crown Court, His Honour Judge Williams said:
“You knew you were playing for high stakes, and you lost.”
Kavanagh was initially sentenced to nine years in prison, reduced to seven years and six months with credit following a guilty plea.
Detective Constable Rhys Richards, of Tarian, said:
“Abigail Kavanagh was a pivotal member of an organised crime group. She was tasked with receiving Class A drugs with a potential street value of hundreds of thousands of pounds. She was also tasked with arranging deliveries of Spice to prisons and collecting cash for the group.
“Offenders who import and traffic drugs around our communities and prisons do not care about the harm they bring. Their sole concern is profit.
“Kavanagh has received a lengthy custodial sentence, which sends a clear message to those who choose to get involved in this type of criminality. Tarian will continue to work closely with partner agencies, including Border Force and the National Crime Agency, to use every resource within our power to bring these offenders to justice.”
