Woman, 25, who helped flood UK prisons with zombie drug Spice is jailed for role in £300k smuggling ring

A KINGPIN who helped flood British prisons with zombie drug Spice has been jailed for her role in a £300,000 smuggling ring.

Abigail Kavanagh delivered the synthetic cannabis to jails across Wales while working as a "pivotal" member of an organised crime group.

The 25-year-old also collected cash for the drug empire and used secret messages to arrange the drop-offs.

Kavanagh has now been jailed for seven years and six months after she admitted trafficking controlled drugs.

His Honour Judge Williams said: “You knew you were playing for high stakes, and you lost.”

Newport Crown Court heard Kavanagh disguised MDMA as bath salts in a bid to smuggle the Class A drug into Britain.

Border Force officials intercepted a package from Australia at East Midlands Airport where it was bound for Kavanagh's home address.

The officers discovered 10kg of MDMA, which had a potential street value of £300,000.

Kavanagh was arrested under Operation Gemstone, which is run by the Regional Organised Crime Unit for South Wales.

Police found the secret messages on her phone that proved she was involved in arranging deliveries of Spice to prisons.

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.

“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.”