Danielle Shields was stopped by custom officers as she tried to return to Liverpool
Danielle Shields was stopped by Jersey customs officers transferring proceeds of crime (Image: States of Jersey Police)
A woman found with a bag of cash and £800 of JD Sports vouchers is believed to have been smuggling suspected drug money. Liverpool woman Danielle Shields flew in to Jersey on February 7 this year when she was stopped by customs officers.
The 43-year-old, who had £20 and her bank card, told officers she was staying at the luxurious Royal Yacht hotel. But the following day, travelling outbound to Liverpool, Shields was stopped again, with officers this time finding a huge haul of cash in her baggage.
As well as £2,336 in cash, she also had JD Sports gift vouchers to the value of £800, receipts for clothing and a Jersey Post receipt for an outbound package. She also admitted to internally concealing a further £1,360 and was also found wearing a new Tag Heuer watch.
Officers later retrieved the outbound package that Shields had the receipt for, which was found to contain an empty Tag Heuer box and a receipt for £2,100. During her police interview, she admitted to attempting to export the cash that she suspected to be the proceeds of crime, possibly from the sale of drugs.
Further investigations revealed Shields had travelled to the island of Jersey on 15 occasions since December 2023 and she admitted in further interview, to exporting cash on previous occasions.
Appearing before Jersey’s Royal Court earlier this month, Shields said she had been paid to collect money from unnamed individuals in Jersey and take it back to the North West.
Crown advocate Lauren Hallam told the court: “It is overwhelmingly likely that this money came from the sale of drugs. Moving money is a key part of the illegal drugs trade.”
Local paper the Jersey Evening Post reported that James Bell, defending Shields, told the court: “She was put under pressure to become involved in the activity that forms the basis of these charges. She got caught up in something which she does not intend to repeat.”
Lieutenant-bailiff Anthony Olsen said Shields was deemed a high risk of reoffending. He added: “These are very serious offences. You knew or strongly suspected that you were dealing with the proceeds of the sale of illegal drugs.” Shields was jailed for 21 months.
Speaking after sentencing, Paul Le Monnier, senior manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “The seizure of the proceeds of crime definitely hurts the pockets of those involved in criminality and helps prevent and disrupt further criminality, including the importation of controlled drugs.
“Officers will not only target drug importations but will actively control passengers and goods outbound to seize criminal proceeds.”
The ECHO previously reported in February this year how a woman, who flew from Liverpool to Jersey smuggling £13,000 of class A drugs, told customs officers “it’s just a bit of coke”. Stoke-on-Trent woman Emma Llewellyn said she carried out the audacious plot because she owed money to an individual known as “pornstar”. She was jailed for four years and six months.
Jersey has long been an enticing destination for Liverpool criminals due to the island’s wealth, low crime rates and seclusion. The small Channel island’s location and strict border control means there isn’t an easy supply of drugs, so crime groups who manage to import drugs can charge higher prices.