Group Sentenced After Drugs Disguised As Bath Salts And Beauty Products Seized In Sussex

An organised crime group have been sentenced for their roles in supplying drugs disguised as bath salts and beauty products.

The group used products in an effort to ship class A and class B drugs to the USA and Australia via courier services.

But the vast majority of packages were intercepted either in the UK or in the recipient countries, prompting a police inquiry.

Sussex Police officers attended rented premises at Truleigh Hill near Shoreham, where about £1 million in MDMA was located inside two holdall bags.

Following a thorough investigation, eight people have been convicted for their roles in the criminal enterprise.

At Hove Crown Court on January 12 the final defendants appeared for sentence.

The court was told how two holdall bags containing MDMA were found in stables rented by Jenny Blake in June 2019.

Lee Hudson and his then partner Laura Burke were seen visiting regularly, and through paperwork and investigation, Matt Hodgson and Benjamin Beal were also linked to the group.

Records showed that the group had attempted to post packages to Australia and the USA, concealing class A drugs in bath salts packaging.

The group had purchased 64 kilograms of bath salts in just a one month period, to use the packaging.

All of the group were linked to making attempts to send the packages.

Meanwhile, Alexander Griffin was also linked to the organised group.

He was observed by officers in central Brighton entering a “stash” vehicle which contained 4,000 suspected class A drugs tablets in the Churchill Square shopping centre car park in August 2019.

The estimated street value of the drugs was worth more than £320,000.

Officers observed him interacting with brothers Dean Mazirel and Oliver Mazirel in Canon Place, before the brothers were also later arrested.

Dean Mazirel, 39, a construction worker formerly of Grafton Road, Worthing, and Oliver Mazirel, 35, formerly a landscape gardener of South Street, Tarring, both admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs at a hearing in January 2020.

They were both sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Alexander Griffin, 37, formerly a financial consultant of Ninfield Road, Bexhill, admitted conspiring to fraudulently evade any duty or prohibition, or restriction or provision, contrary to the Criminal Law Act.

He was sentenced to six years in prison during a hearing in May 2023.

Benjamin Beal, 43, formerly a managing director of a property company, of Downland Drive, Hove, was found guilty of conspiring to fraudulently evade any duty or prohibition, or restriction or provision.

He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Lee Hudson, 42, formerly a barber, of Manor Fields, Horsham, admitted the same offence and was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.

Jenny Blake, 40, formerly a teacher, of Eaton Road, Hove, admitted participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and was sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison sentence. She must complete 160 hours of unpaid work.

Laura Burke, 33, formerly a child carer, of South Street, Partridge Green, admitted participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and was sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison sentence. She must complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Sessions.

Matt Hodgson, 47, unemployed, of Caneheath, Polegate, admitted participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime groupand was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence, 240 hours of unpaid work and 10 RAR sessions.

Speaking after the case, Acting Detective Inspector Ed Bohnet said:

“This was an organised group operating to disguise the transport and sale of large quantities of class A and B drugs from Sussex via courier services.

“Following a thorough investigation, all of the defendants have now been convicted.

“It demonstrates our determination to catch offenders operating in organised groups, and to disrupt drug supply which has such a harmful impact on our communities.”