A drug kingpin who managed a lucrative cocaine and heroin empire in the Midlands while living a life of luxury in Thailand has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The International Operation
Vejay Samuels, 30, from Top Valley in Nottingham, continued to direct his criminal enterprise in the UK for several months in 2023 while evading police nearly 6,000 miles away in Thailand. The court heard how Samuels and his partner, Hannah Cwynar, 33, funded an opulent lifestyle, with photos emerging of him driving a speedboat and swimming with elephants during his eight-month stay.
Detectives from Nottinghamshire Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit uncovered that Samuels was the mastermind behind a conspiracy that flooded the streets of Nottingham with thousands of pounds worth of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and cannabis. The gang operated between August 2022 and November 2023, using two dedicated phone lines to distribute Class A and Class B drugs sourced from Yorkshire.
The Downfall and Arrests
The gang's operation began to unravel in April 2023 when police pulled over a car containing Jake Worrall, 30, and Gary Castledine, 59. Large quantities of crack cocaine were discovered in the vehicle, with fingerprints linking the drugs to Lyndon Wilson, 38.
This traffic stop triggered a wider investigation, leading police to identify Andrew Mitchell, 54, whose role involved regularly travelling to Huddersfield and Bradford to collect large drug quantities for distribution in Nottingham. A mobile phone linked to the drug line was recovered during a raid on the home of Joseph Gavin, 30.
Samuels was arrested in January last year on his birthday after returning to England. Nottinghamshire Police had successfully identified several key players in his organisation.
Sentencing and Consequences
At Nottingham Crown Court, Samuels pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs and received his 14-year sentence. His partner, Hannah Cwynar from Derby, admitted money laundering and received a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, plus 150 hours of unpaid work.
Charlotte Franklyn, 30, Samuels' ex-girlfriend from Bestwood, Nottingham, also received a 15-month suspended sentence for money laundering and must complete 80 hours of unpaid work. The court heard how Samuels accessed his illegal profits undetected through bank accounts controlled by both women.
In total, eleven defendants were sentenced this week to a combined 84 years in prison. Detective Constable Emma Grimley stated: "This was an organised group that conspired together to distribute large amounts of controlled drugs across the Nottingham area for a lengthy period of time."
Detective Constable Steve Fenyn added: "Taking Vejay Samuels off the streets makes Nottingham a safer place for all." The investigation proved particularly challenging as Samuels had fled the country shortly after it began, requiring police to gather evidence proving he was running his drug enterprise from Thailand.
