£5m drug smuggling operation led by mother using her children caught at UK Airport

A shocking image has captured the moment a family of siblings were apprehended for smuggling millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK.

The siblings were enlisted into the illicit drug operation by their own mother, Farzana Kauser.

The 54 year old mastermind utilised five of her offspring to transport drugs from Cancun, Mexico, all the way to Birmingham Airport.

Two of the children involved in the offences, which took place between August and November last year, were teenagers.

The gang employed an intricate method to sneak high-grade cocaine into the country, reportsBirmingham Live.

Kauser, along with five other members of the criminal group, previously admitted to importing approximately 180 kilograms of cocaine, with a wholesale value nearing £5 million, into the UK from Mexico.

An additional two members of the gang confessed to involvement in the activities of this organised crime syndicate.

Between August and November 2024, the defendants executed at least five drug importation trips, employing the same strategy each time.

They would arrange brief one or two-night jaunts to Dublin or Amsterdam, travelling without any luggage.

Their return flights were meticulously scheduled to coincide with incoming flights from Cancun, Mexico.

Upon landing at Birmingham Airport, instead of retrieving luggage from their own flight carousel, they would head straight to the Cancun carousel where they would collect suitcases brimming with cocaine that had been loaded onto the Mexico flight without accompanying passengers.

They would then nonchalantly stroll through customs as if merely returning with their own bags.

On November 11, 2024, a major drug conspiracy was exposed when National Crime Agency officers apprehended six individuals at Birmingham Airport's arrivals zone, seizing six suitcases filled with roughly 180 kilograms of cocaine.

The scheme was largely a family-run operation, masterminded by Farzana Kauser, who involved her offspring and other relatives in the illicit plot.

Khaled Abdulkawi stood out as the only non-relative, serving as a courier for another criminal syndicate.

Those implicated were handed sentences after admitting to conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug of Class A, including:

• Farzana Kauser was jailed for 13 years and four months
• Safa Noor, 19, from Bradford, was jailed for seven years and two months
• Mohammed Aamir Shaffaq, 28, from Bradford, was jailed for eight years and nine months
• Umair Mohammed, 22, from Bradford,was jailed for eight years and one month
• Junaid Shaffaq, 33, from Bradford, was jailed for ten years and nine months
• Khaled Abdulkawi, 36, from Halesowen in Dudley, was jailed for ten years and nine months
• In addition, Hamza Shaffaq and Sarah Hussain pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group:
• Hamza Shaffaq, 18, from Bradford, will be sentenced in October
• Sarah Hussain, 27, from Bradford, was handed a two year sentence suspended for two years

Sarah Ingram from the Crown Prosecution Service remarked: "This was a sophisticated and well-planned operation to flood the UK with high-purity cocaine worth millions of pounds."

She highlighted the disturbing aspect of the case, noting, "What makes this case particularly concerning is the family nature of the conspiracy, with a mother recruiting her own children to participate in serious organised crime."

Ingram added, "The defendants thought they had devised a foolproof method to import drugs, but thanks to the vigilance and thorough investigation by the National Crime Agency and our prosecution, their criminal enterprise was brought to an end."

She concluded with the impact of the bust, stating, "By taking this organised crime group out of action, large amounts of drugs have been removed from circulation and can no longer reach our streets.

"This case demonstrates the commitment of the Crown Prosecution Service and law enforcement partners to disrupting drug supply chains and bringing those involved in serious organised crime to justice."

Rick Mackenzie, NCA senior investigating officer, added: "To her friends and people who thought they knew her, Farzana Kauser was a thoughtful, loving mum who seemed very normal.

"She was very well practised in her life as a high-end cocaine trafficker and she took great pains to delete any trail of evidence.

"She led this crime group with dedication and determination, often instructing her children on how to smuggle the drugs effectively and on what techniques to employ.

"She pushed her children into huge danger and has allowed their futures to be effectively destroyed.

"Her youngest son was just 17 when he was encouraged to play a major role in couriering drugs into the country, drugs that wreck countless lives across the UK in their links to violence, addiction and other crimes.

"The NCA works side by side with partners at home and abroad to combat the threat Class A drugs pose to the UK."