Prolific supplier of drugs finally faces justice

A woman who went on the run after admitting conspiring to supply controlled drugs into prisons and importing cocaine from Jamaica, has been sentenced today (16 May) following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU). 

Emily MacArthur, 34, of no fixed address, failed to appear at Swindon Crown Court back in April 2022 having pleaded guilty to both offences. 

Her co-conspirator and former partner Dennis Obasi was sentenced to 11 years and seven months at Swindon Crown Court back in November 2022. 

Today, MacArthur was handed a jail sentence of 13 years and 11 months at Swindon Crown Court for her previous guilty pleas as well as three counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin), possession of criminal property, and failure to attend court. 

Her criminal activities came to the attention of law enforcement in January 2020 when officers from UK Border Force stopped three separate parcels sent from Jamaica, which were addressed to MacArthur at flats in Frome and Bristol. They were all found to contain cocaine concealed inside shipments of seasonings, with a street value of more than £130k. 

MacArthur and Obasi exchanged tens of thousands of messages about their desire to generate large profits from illegal drug supply. In one, MacArthur openly talks about “moving to hard food” – as in cocaine – as she needed £23k for a car and wanted to live in a nicer house. In another she acknowledges she “will go to prison long time” if caught. 

Further enquires revealed that officers from the Metropolitan Police Service were also looking into MacArthur in connection with the supply of spice into prisons. Both SWROCU and the Met executed a warrant at MacArthur’s home address in Trowbridge in February 2020. What they uncovered was spice being produced in substantial quantities.  

Both MacArthur and Obasi, who were in the property at the time, were arrested. 

The pair were producing bogus ‘R39’ legal letters coated with spice and marked using fake stamps to send the dangerous controlled drug into the prison estate. Within prisons R39 letters are confidential and cannot be opened by prison staff unless there is good reason.  

Officers seized £50,000 worth of spice powder, 116 sheets of paper soaked in spice – worth £48,000 or more in prison – a box containing six bottles of acetone, and 1.86kg of marshmallow leaves. Seven fake R39 stamps, piles of envelopes and further letters were also found.  

Additionally, the pair were sending spice into prisons concealed inside prisoner property boxes and by arranging visitors who would carry the drugs to pose as inmates’ wives and girlfriends. 

Messages uncovered on MacArthur’s and Obasi’s devices showed the extent of their offending, which first began when Obasi was residing at HMP Peterborough. Between February 2019 and March 2020 at least 40 fake R39 letters infused with spice were recovered from 11 prisons in England. Each package would contain between 25 and 50 sheets of infused paper which would be cut into stamp-sized pieces and sold.

Following MacArthur’s and Obasi’s release under investigation, the pair remained undeterred and continued their illegal activities.

In April 2020 officers from Wiltshire Police stopped MacArthur and Obasi in a car in Trowbridge where they were found with £500 in cash and a knife. A search of MacArthur’s flat revealed a further £6,000 in cash along with a wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

Later the same year, they were arrested by Thames Valley Police in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, having been seen dropping off two teenagers at an address belonging to a vulnerable man. Inside the address were two packages containing wraps of heroin and crack cocaine. Officers established that Obasi had bought at least one of the teenagers a train ticket for travel from London to Bristol and the elder teenager had previously visited a flat in Bristol rented by MacArthur.

Having used various aliases to move around and evade capture, MacArthur was finally arrested in Belfast in June 2024 and has been remanded in custody since. 

DC Williams from SWROCU said: “MacArthur thought nothing of exploiting both young people as ‘runners’ and vulnerable women to smuggle drugs into prison – it was all just about money and bettering her lifestyle. 

 “She’s tried hard over the past few years to avoid being caught but now it’s her turn to face justice for the harm she’s caused.  

“Despite the challenges posed by her many false identities and fleeing to Northern Ireland, we’ve persevered to ensure justice was done.” 

Spice is widely reported as being one of the most destabilising and dangerous drugs within prisons as the effects on the user present an enormous risk to the safety of prison staff and inmates.

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said: “Drugs have a destabilising impact on the running of our prisons. Cracking down on their supply is critical to improving security and cutting crime. 

“Bringing Emily MacArthur to justice is a result of our close working relationship with the police, as well as the efforts of prison staff who work tirelessly to tackle drugs behind bars.”