All-Female Cocaine Gang Sentenced for £13.6 Million UK Drug Trafficking Operation
A sophisticated all-female gang at the centre of a major cocaine trafficking operation that flooded Britain's streets with drugs worth £13.6 million has been jailed. The group formed part of an elaborate supply network that delivered more than 170 kilograms of high-purity cocaine to locations across the United Kingdom in just four months, employing encrypted messaging, secret passwords, and last-minute drop-off points to evade law enforcement detection.
Sophisticated Operation Unravelled by London Courier Arrest
Their criminal enterprise was ultimately dismantled when one of their couriers was caught red-handed in London carrying a substantial haul of drugs valued at £80,000. Officers from the Organised Crime Partnership – a joint unit between the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police – uncovered the conspiracy, which was regularly supplying large quantities of Class A drugs into the capital city.
Between April and August 2022, the network transported cocaine with an estimated street value of £13.6 million. Couriers were dispatched nationwide, coordinating via the encrypted messaging platform Wickr and relying on codenames alongside constantly changing locations to maintain operational secrecy.
Key Arrest Exposes Wider Criminal Network
The beginning of the end arrived on June 16, 2022, when Arvinder Bains, aged 39 from Telford, was intercepted by officers while executing a delivery in London. A thorough search of his vehicle revealed 10 kilograms of compressed cocaine, with a street value of £80,000. Forensic examination of his mobile phone exposed the extensive scale of the broader plot, demonstrating he was acting as part of a coordinated effort to distribute 22 kilograms of the drug on that single day alone.
Investigators identified Shahrukh Hummayiun, aged 29 from Wolverhampton, as the principal organiser who directed the movements of three female couriers: Sindija Virse, aged 28; Gabriele Trinkunaite, aged 26; and Rubanpreet Kaur, aged 26. Messages recovered from the group illustrated how they meticulously arranged meeting points, shared vehicle details – including the Nissan X-Trail that Bains was driving – and timed arrivals with precision to complete drug handovers.
Evidence Reveals Advanced Planning and Coordination
Additional evidence revealed the group had even scouted locations in advance. The day before the failed delivery, Hummayiun messaged Bains stating: 'Tomorrow titch no excuses… Car must be ready.' The gang's carefully orchestrated operation unravelled in January last year as officers moved decisively to make arrests.
Trinkunaite was detained by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit on January 14, 2025. Hummayiun attempted to flee the country the following day but was apprehended at Gatwick Airport as he tried to board a flight to Dubai. Kaur and Virse were also arrested on January 15 at their respective home addresses.
Sentencing and Police Commentary
All five members of the conspiracy have now been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to a combined total of 30 years and five months imprisonment. Detective Inspector Richard Smith, from the Organised Crime Partnership, commented: 'This criminal enterprise was sophisticated and far reaching. The group brazenly supplied multiple communities with dangerous class A drugs without a care for the consequences. Thanks to the work of the dedicated investigators on the OCP, we were able to dismantle this network and eliminate the risk they pose to the public.'
Hummayiun, from Wolverhampton, was convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and jailed for ten years and nine months. Trinkunaite, from Wolverhampton, admitted the same charge and was sentenced to seven years and eight months. Kaur, also from Wolverhampton, was jailed for five years and four months after pleading guilty. Virse, from Bedfordshire, also admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to six years and eight months. Bains, from Telford, had previously been convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs at Woolwich Crown Court in December 2022 and received a nine-year sentence.
