Woman Jailed for Drug Trafficking: Bath Salts Disguise Uncovered

A woman has been sentenced to prison for her involvement in trafficking drugs disguised as bath salts through an airport.

Abigail Kavanagh, 25, from Ely, Cardiff, received her sentence at Newport Crown Court on October 22 for her part in smuggling drugs on behalf of an organised crime group.

Kavanagh was apprehended during an operation conducted by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales. She was arrested at her home, and a review of her mobile phone revealed her participation in supplying the Class B drug, Spice, into prisons across South Wales.

Initially, Kavanagh was sentenced to nine years in prison, which was reduced to seven years and six months following a guilty plea.

During sentencing, Judge Williams remarked, “You knew you were playing for high stakes, and you lost.”

Detective Constable Rhys Richards, from Tarian, described Kavanagh as a “pivotal member” of an organised crime group, responsible for receiving Class A drugs “with a potential street value of hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

On 8 March 2024, Border Force officers at East Midlands Airport intercepted a package sent from Austria to Kavanagh’s home. The package contained 10 kilograms of MDMA, disguised as bath salts, with a potential street value of £300,000. Kavanagh was also tasked with organising Spice deliveries to prisons and collecting cash for the crime group.

“Offenders who import and traffic drugs in our communities and prisons do not care about the harm they cause. Their sole concern is profit,” Richards continued.

“Kavanagh has received a lengthy custodial sentence, which sends a clear message to those involved in such criminality. Tarian will continue to work closely with partner agencies, including Border Force and the National Crime Agency, to utilise every resource available to bring these offenders to justice.

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